Symphonies for a Mad Prince
by Igrewinlovewithyoursins
Summary: Fran will tell you the events that follow his kidnapping to the Varia, but he will only tell you what he feels like because the rest is probably not important... BF, and where there's BF there's XS Rated T
1. 1st Measure

So this is my first attempt at an actual fic that isn't a one-shot. It's a little more less humorous and a little bit more down to earth. This is Fran as I see him to be, idk of he's out of character or not but yeah :P Anyway, these are the events that 'happen' after Fran is dragged into the Varia, varying on whether he thinks they're significant enough to tell you about them... so read on, and hopefully enjoy?

Rated T

Disclaimer: If I owned KHR, it'd be yaoi not shounen.

* * *

Symphonies for a Mad Prince

Words to describe....

...the boss?

Angry

Powerful

Fierce

Feared

Mad

Insane

Angry

…the long haired commander?

Loud

Annoying

Gay

Whiny

Shark-like

Disturbed

Idiot

Loud

...Lussuria?

Gay

Feminine

Pedo

Motherly

Cracked

Frilly

Gay

...Levi?

Who?

Unnecessary

Kiss up

Boring

Annoying

Anti-Climatic

Who?

...Bel?

Fake

Irritating

Gay

Stupid

Self-proclaimed

Mad

Fake

...Me?

I

want

to

get

out

of

here

help?

…..............................................................................................................................................................................Fran. is. not. a. frog. mr. fake. prince. sir.

_Today is yesterday repeated, and tomorrow foretold._

"How... do I explain this to you?" I say slowly eying the man in front of me for any signs of retardation. "I. am. a. human. being. Not some amphibian you can dissect."

"Ushishishi..." Bel smirked and sent another knife in Fran's direction.

I sigh. "You had fun in Biology class didn't you sempai?"

"Passed it with flying colors."

"Why isn't that surprising?" I say sarcastically, bending the knife and tossing it.

"Froggy's going to have to buy me some new knifes," He sang.

"Yeah, what makes you think I'd be willing to do that?"

"Che- don't have to, I'll have the gay shark deduct it from your payroll."

"Yeah wel-wait we get paid?" I hadn't been informed of this.

"Yeah, why else did you think we do this?" Bel said matter-of-factly, "Although being a prince and all I don't need more money, I do it for fun!"

"What a great hobby of yours..." _Weirdo._

"Hmm... I think most of us do it for fun," He said rethinking it, "I mean, the boss obviously likes killing people, and the shark does too. Levi? Meh, he's just gay... and so is Lussuria. But the extra cash is nice."

"Great... something to look forward to." I say, and he obviously thinks I'm being sarcastic because he just gives me this look.

"You know we make quite a bit of money." He motions to our surroundings. We were in the lounge. "Look around... this isn't just some hang out."

He's right. The moment I stepped out of the car, blindfolded and all, I knew that the cobblestone wasn't your average gravel, and the tiles of the entrance hall were definitely marble. I haven't been allowed to explore much of the estate since I've gotten here, but I know it's big. And very elegant too, it kinda throws you off when you actually get to know the Varia.

"Yeah..." I answer, and again he gives me this look.

After a moment he sighs, but he's smiling, which is creepy.

"Laters, emo froggy." He says punching my hat as he takes his leave, knocking it over my face.

_Did he just call me emo? _I roll my eyes, fixing my hat. _Because I like knifes and the sight of my own blood? Yeah I'm so emo..._

…

* * *

................................................................................................................................................................Wait. he. was. serious. when. he. said. he. was. a. prince?

_Ice castles are pretty but melt quickly._

"So Frannie, how have you been enjoying your stay here?" Lussuria hummed as he put away dishes.

It was after dinner and I was helping out (more like keeping Lus company).

"Huh, you say that like I came here willingly." I said bluntly.

The gay man smiled. "Fran dear, I know you're not exactly thrilled with this whole set up, but trust me you feel better about soon k?" He lectured a mother's lecture. "And the Varia isn't all that bad you know?"

He says this like I was in elementary and he was giving me advise on how to handle a bully.

"I guess..."

He laughed (or shrilled). "You're so different from Bel! I remember when he first got here!! Then again he did come here willingly..."

"Oh yeah... sempai used to be the baby of the Varia before I got here..."

"Yeah, he was so adorable!"

"I bet he was..."

"A little shorter than he is now, just turned 16, blond bucket hair cut with a crown, what a sight."

I found it difficult to picture sempai like that.

"Yeah, what's with the tiara?" I ask.

"It's a crown hon~ and it's because he's a prince." He corrected as he finished putting away the dishes.

"Of what? Insanity?"

"No really, he's a prince darling." He sat down on the seat/stool across from me, folding his hands on the counter top. "I understand how it can seem like he's joking around, Squa~ had a hard time buying the story too. But it's all true, he has the money, the history, and the attitude to back it up."

_Huh? Really?_

"So... he was banished?"

"No he left. He didn't like those people, so he killed them all and left." Lussuria shrugged.

Suddenly I became a little but more afraid of sempai, not that I would ever admit.

"Oh wow, so he is nuts."

"Nah I don't think it was as easy as he makes it sound to be. I really must have been hard for him, but I don't think any of those people should be sympathized for it. They had it coming. If you think about it, Bel's cruelty had to come from some where."

He had a point there... usually the apple doesn't fall far from the tree...

…...............................................................................................................................................................................................why. does. she. look. like?

_Mirrors lie the worst of lies, but are the answer to the truth._

I was doing what I'd always done to kill time at the Varia, reading. I'm not sure if these people actually ever read this stuff, but the books here were actually pretty complex. _Eccentrics: a Study of Sanity and Strangeness. _I picked it up, it seemed like an interesting title, _very ironic maybe?_

I took the pile of books I had collected while scavenging through the rather huge Varia library, and sat down.

I was half way through the first chapter of this interesting documentary, when Lussuria's voice squealed over the intercom.

"Fraaaaaaaannnnie~!" I twitched at the sound. "I seems you've got a visitor hon~" He giggled. "Down in the hall~"

_A Visitor? Huh. _I folded the corner of the page I was on and put the book down. _Well I guess I should see who it is... _

I reluctantly made my way downstairs.

When I got to the Hall, I was surprised (although it probably didn't seem like it) at what I found.

"Hi there," She said after a short silence, she too seemed surprised.

"Um hi?" I say slowly.

This girl. She looks like me... why?

She looks me up and down with her light emerald eyes, her hair also a slightly paler hue than mines. And maybe she was a little taller than me, an inch or half.

Also, she was smiling, I was uncomfortable with this.

She stopped at the frog hat, raising an eyebrow at it. Her eyes labeled me, 'cosplayer', but I really didn't care so much for that part.

"You're not here to tell me you're my mother are you?" I ask in monotone.

"Er... no, actually I have no idea who you are, or why you look like me, I'm just here to see Bel-kun, where is he?" She asked cheerfully.

Yeah, there was no way in hell this girl was related to me.

First of all, she was way too happy, although the clothes she wore didn't make her seem like it. A black long sleeve shirt, skinny jeans, some chains and a thin silver cross hanging from her neck.

And second, it's bad enough having to live with sempai, why in the world would anyone go looking for him?

"Umm... well I don't know why they called me here, but I don't know where he is." _Although knowing him he's probably doing his hair or something. _

At that moment Lussuria walks in, "Hey Frannie~ who's your friend?"

"Um... I'm not sure... I don't know this person."

"You don't?" He asked obviously surprised.

We both shook our heads.

"I'm looking for Bel-kun," She explained.

"Ahh~ I'm sorry, you just looked like- and I just assumed you were here for Frannie~kun." He apologized.

"It's okay," She smiled again, almost making my stomach turn.

I didn't like this person, how can she look like me so much, and act so unlike me at the same time?

"Frannie~ go fetch Bel, he's in the lounge,"

"Yeah yeah," _Anything to get out of here. _

"So you are?" He turned to the guest as I exited.

"Desirae, Princess Desirae, Belphagor's fiance..."

_Fiance eh? Interesting..._

I didn't realize it then, but this was the beginning of something that could be labeled as a cheesy Japanese soap opera.

* * *

So hopefully this wont get too cliche, I don't like it when an idea is overused so yeah, please R&R! Do it for the cannibalism! Er, I mean no, cannibalism is illegal!! Bad! No meat pies for you! :P

-Echo


	2. 2nd Measure

_Measure 2_

….............................................................................................................I'd. sympathize. him. but. I. have. no. sympathy.

_Earlier today..._

"_Hey sempai," I said peaking into the lounge, eyes locating the blond right away. _

"_Mmm?" He said without taking his eyes off the T.V._

"_There's someone looking for you."_

"_Frog, there are many people looking for me, be specific." He snapped. 'Some one is on their monthly...' I think._

"_Um... I dunno she's a girl," I scratched my cheek. "I think she said he name in Desert-something..."_

"_Desert what!?" He looks at me (I think),_

_I shrug._

"_You are hopeless." He glared as he reluctantly got off the couch._

"_Whatever," I said already halfway down the hall. "I'm going to go find something to stab now..." I murmured to myself. 'I really don't like this place.'_

_Now..._

I felt better now after having had relieved my stress on one of the pillows in the study. Just a pillow, I doubt it will be missed. I was walking up the huge stair case when:

"Fran honey~" Lussuria called from the waiting room at the edge of the stairs. "I thought I told you to fetch Bel-kun for me?"

"Hmm?" I look down, "I did, I told him a girl was waiting for him."

"Really? Then why didn't he come down?"

"Did you tell him my name?" The girl asked from behind Luss.

"Um, not really, I kinda forgot it, sorry." I probably didn't say this very apologetic, she didn't seem to buy it.

She frowned, which made me feel good, I had wiped that disgusting smile off her face.

"I'm gonna go check his room then, I'll be right back~!" Lussuria squealed practically prancing up the stairs ahead of me. "Frannie~ entertain our guest!" He called from the top.

_Great..._

"Um..."

"So you're a guy right?" She says looking up questioningly.

"No, I'm a really flat girl with absolutely nothing hanging between my legs." I say sarcastically. I really didn't care if I insulted this girl, she deserved to die in my opinion. And yes, it's just because she looks like me.

"Hm." She observes me like I'm some sort of specimen. "I don't think I'm okay with the idea of someone so feminine looking hanging around my Bel-kuns, even if he is a guy."

_Yeah, I hate you too._

Just then, Lussuria comes in dragging Bel behind him like cat who doesn't want to bathe.

"Ohh hoo~ you'll never guess where I found him!" He giggled creepily "He was climbing out of his bedroom window!"

Sempai gave a clearly fake smile that read, _oh crap._

_Oh my god, _I think as I begin to understand what was going on, _sempai doesn't like this girl either. _

I would break out laughing but that would be risking my pride.

So now I hated this girl much less now knowing that sempai didn't like her.

"Belllllll-kuuuun~!!!" She chirped glomping him.

_Yeah now I'm back to hating her, _I think, _ah, but wait- the look on sempai's face was worth it._

"Frannie~ dear, want to help me out in the kitchen?" Lussuria obviously wanting to leave them alone.

I nodded. Whatever helped sink sempai's boat... or however the line goes.

"Er.. um I can help," Bel suggested pushing the girl off him, like that'd stop her.

Lussuria stopped and looked back oddly surprised. I was surprised too. _Sempai? Offering to help? World War III my friends, has just broken out..._

"Nah nah Bel~ you can play with your friend here, while Fran and I finish up dinner." He paused, " Ooh that reminds me, Desirae dear you should stay for dinner~!"

"I'd love to!" She smiled, again the word 'die' rings in my head.

Bel scowled, but only I noticed. Things had begun to get interesting.

…...................................................................................................................................The. prince. and. the. princess. did. not. have. a. happily. ever. after.

"Was it just me, or did it seem like sempai didn't like that girl that much?" I ask Lussuria blankly.

"Nah nah, he loves her~! He's just shy!" He says handing me a dish to put away.

"Love?" _I don't even think sempai knows what that means._

"Well yeah it just has to be no?" He turned to me smiling creepily. "Think about it, he massacred his whole family, but spared her nye?"

Lussuria said the word 'massacred' a little too happily. But again, he had a point, I guess love CAN happen to every body.

"Now, be a dear and go fetch the love birds for dinner k?" He instructed more than asked.

"Yeah yeah," I wave leaving the kitchen.

…...................................................................................I. guess. it. Isn't. just. me.

The new self-proclaimed member of the family visited frequently. She was annoying at first but eventually you learn to tune her out. Sempai also became a little more used to her presence, but it always seemed to me that he would kick her out in the end.

"Hey grass head, pass me the remote." She nags with a mouthful of popcorn. During the last week I had learned that she wasn't the most 'princessey' of all princesses.

"No." I say picking up the remote and turning the volume up. "I'm watching this."

"This? You're looking at the insides of dead people, that's disgusting." She whines trying to speak over the TV.

"It's called forensics smart."

"Whatever American Idol is on and I wanna watch," She says getting up off her couch and walking over to me.

"Really? American Idol? Does anyone even watch that anymore?" I tease monotonically.

She stands over me in a way that seems threatening to her. I raise my eyebrows at her.

"Hand it over now."

"No."

"I'ma tell Belphy-kun on you."

"Is that a threat?"

At that moment Bel walks in taking the remote from my hand and pushing Desirae over. She topples over landing on me.

"Get off me b****." I swear pushing her off.

"What did you just call me?" She looks appalled, and it's kind of funny really.

"Ushishishi..." Bel smirks laying back on the other couch.

"Bel-kun do something about this!" She yells now obviously pissed off.

This thing she has with emotions, it kinda bothers me. I swear she must be bipolar or something. Seriously, when you think you're in love with sempai, then you know that there's something wrong with your brain.

"I'm out of here," I announce, leaving.

"Bel-kun!"

I was half way down the hall when I felt something bounce off my hat.

I turned around to see the thing standing in the middle of the hallway. Red in the face, with a couple of knives in her hand. _Did she get those off sempai?_

"That's it brat, ever since I've been here you've been on my nerves." She glares.

"I hate you too." I reply bluntly.

She throws the remaining two knives at me, she is totally off. They land on the floor in front of me.

And then something totally unexpected happens.

She starts sobbing uncontrollably. How random. A voice in my head mocks _'bipolar...'._ I'm semi-shocked, but like I'd ever admit that.

"Umm..." I start to say, when she topples over crying. I don't know if I should just leave her there or not, but it didn't look like she was bluffing.

I walk over and kneel down in front of her. "Hey... um... you okay?" It comes out in monotone, but I don't think she minds.

After a couple of seconds of watching her tears collect on her knees, she talks (well at least tries to).

"Its... just... not... fair...!" She choked.

"Umm... I'm sorry?" I say unsure of how to handle the situation, or what the problem was.

"Bel-kun always picks you over me!"

_Wait-what?! What does that have to do with anything?_

"Um.. I don't think so-"

"He's nicer to you than he is to me, and even when you're not around he mentions you all the time!" She sniffs, her crying slowing.

_Really? About me?_

"He's always saying how he's going to stab you for bending his knives, or how he isn't allowed to kill you in your sleep because of the stupid shark...!" She starts quoting.

I sweat drop. _Er... I don't think that means anything, except I should probably lock my door before I go to bed from now on..._

She giggled at that. _Did I say that out loud?_

"Fran you're not a bad person really, I'm just jealous." She smiles putting her hand on my shoulder.

"Of what?" I ask bluntly.

"I don't know..." She says sighing.

"Well I think you shou-"

"Let me switch places with you Fran!" She says suddenly her eyes full of hope.

"Wha?" I say confused. _This girl is totally on acid..._

"Common, we already look like each other," she pleads, "and it'll only be for a week, I just want to see if he really treats you better than me."

"I don't think that's a good idea." _Actually that's a very BAD idea..._

"Please Fran... and if it doesn't work out I'll leave you alone for good!"

"Um, but I'm pretty sure someone would notice... I'ma dude and you're a girl..."

"Ah, it's won't be that hard, I'll arrange everything it'll be quick and over in a flash!"

"I'm not so sure..."

"And besides... what do you have to lose?"

…

"Fine." I give in.

"Yay!" She squeals before hugging me and running off.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I didn't even really like this girl. But like she said, what did I have to lose?

Measure 2 end.

* * *

Ahhh... look at that, another chap, tell me what you think :3

I really don't like that girl, it's kind of weird hating on my own character but she is so annoying lol

Well stay tuned for more and I hope you enjoy this one!

R&R XD

-Echo


	3. 3rd Measure

Measure 3

…..................................................................................................................................................................................So. This. is. How. it. Begins?

_Okay, so why am I trying to figure out how to put on this bra? Oh yeah this is the beginning of my life as a teenage girl. It is here where I've officially reached the lowest point of my life._

I finally get the hooky thingy to go through the loopy thingy. I look in the mirror.

…

_I look so gay... that chick owes me big time. Also I hope she isn't expecting to smile because I don't recall that being part of our deal. _

"Fran? You done in there?" _Speaking of Satan..._

"Umm I think..." I say putting on the black and white striped V-neck.

"Okay now put this on~!" She instructs sliding another garment under the dressing room door.

"Yeah yeah," I say picking it up and looking at it. _Yeah not even in hell..._

"I'm not wearing this." I say bluntly.

"Why not?"

"It's a skirt."

"Yeah and?"

"I'm not wearing it."

"Why? Is it cuz you don't want to shave? Cuz we can always wax!"

"What? No, I'm just uncomfortable with the idea of wearing a skirt." _Like any sane guy would._

"Fine..." She sighs, " I guess pants will do..."

She slides a pair a pants under along with a very girly looking belt.

_Well as long as it isn't a skirt..._

I dress and come out of the dressing room.

"Ahh~ the A-cup works well." She says observing. "But don't you think this would all be easier if you... you know, just used your misty power thingy to create an illusion?"

"Don't you think this would all be easier if we just, you know, not do this at all." I retort.

"Yeah, not an option." She glared taking the frog hat from my head and placing it on her own.

"This is heavy." She complains adjusting it.

"It is." I agree.

"There! Do I look like you?" She says twirling. She was wearing my spare Varia uniform. I think she had bandaged down her chest, because she actually looked like me.

"Stop twirling." I stopped her because it was making me sick. "And stop smiling."

"Yeah yeah, I know from now on I have to act all emo and stuff."

Vain pop. _I'm not emo people!_

"And Fran, you're going to have to at least try to smile every so often."

"Yeah yeah, don't expect much though." I wave.

"Okay I think we're ready!" She says skipping towards the door.

I sigh. _This is going to feel like forever._

…......................................................................................................................................................................................Yeah. That. Went. Well.

The first day of this marvelous week went well. Bel-sempai had been sent on a mission and didn't come back till late. The second day on the other hand...

"Lussuria-san, where's Bel-ku-sempai?" That 'thing-pretending-to-be-me' said as I walked into the room.

"Frannie~ you should now by now that Bel-kun doesn't get up till noon on Mondays." Lussuria answers organizing the bookshelves in room.

_Idiot._

"Oh yeah, well I forget, it's not like I care." Her monotone sounded a little off.

_Not bad, could have been worded differently but not bad._

"Fran honey, you asked." He says turning to face her with his overly girly worried expression. "And what's wrong with your voice? Are you getting sick?"

"He's probably just hitting puberty." I say sitting down.

"Good morning Desirae, you're here early today~" Lussuria waves.

"Good morning princess." The thing says, and without being sarcastic I might add. She absolutely fails.

"Good morning grass-head."

…

…

_And no comeback either..._ I sigh.

"Is something wrong Des~?" Lussuria looking up. "You're looking more down than usual."

"Yeah I woke up this morning with a massive headache." I say rolling my eyes for effect.

"Ah~ would you like me to make you some tea?" He offers.

"Yes please."

"Very well, come on down to the kitchen." He says as if we were on one of those cooking shows.

We go down to the kitchen. And as he's making my tea I complain about small stuff. Acting like the Thing was easy, you just had to make a big deal out of everything. When he's done, we go back to the study.

I sit down sipping my tea. "I wonder where the frog went..." I say with little interest like she would.

"Oh he was scheduled for target practice today, he's probably doing that." Lussuria going back to cleaning the room.

_Crap. _I swear realizing that today I DID have target practice. I usually forget these things and sempai reminds me. _Oh double crap... sempai..._

"Um, I'll be right back I forgot something." I say putting my tea down and excusing myself.

"K, hon~" Lussuria saiys not paying much attention.

I rushed down to the training area out back. I wasn't sure if Desirae had understood what the definition of 'Target Practice' was. Especially when it's coming out of Sempai's creepy mouth.

This is why I don't interact with society. I sigh.

…............................................................................................................................................................................................She. bleeds. I. don't.

Hiding behind a bush and using my illusions to be unseen, I observe. They were practicing with an extra target today. They were searching for him. And is it just me or is that Thing standing waaaay to close to sempai. Suddenly Bel throws a couple knifes into the leaves of a tree and the target falls out.

"Ushishishi, stand back froggy, he's mine." He says heading over to the 'corpse'.

The targets are stuffed of course, but sempai being as twisted as he is enjoys ripping them to shreds. Although I'm not sure if it's just because he enjoys it, or because he likes to bug the stupid shark commander.

Quickly I sneak up behind Desirae and pull her into a bush.

"Heey!" She exclaims surprised.

"Shhhh!!!"

She stops fidgeting, and looks at me curiously.

"What do you think you're doing?" I ask.

"I'm spending time with Bel-kun~" She says with (_ew)_ sparkles in her eyes.

"Stop calling him that," I say slightly annoyed, "And you realize that he's going to start throwing knifes at you any second now, right?"

"Wha? No he can't do that! It'll leave scars!"

_Yeah that's what you should be worrying about..._

"Don't worry I got you covered." I sigh. "If he throws them I'll make an illusion to hide you or something..."

"Yo frog, where'd you go?" Bel smirked looking around.

"Hurry get out there!" I whisper a little too loud and Bel's head snap towards us.

I quickly cover me with an illusion... or so I thought.

"Desirae?" Bel asks confused and I look next to me.

_Shit, I made her invisible instead..._ this illusion thing isn't as easy as it seems you know?

"Um.. hi." I wave nervously.

"What are you doing in a bush?"

"I... Fell, I guess..."

"From where?"

I shrug.

"Whatever, come help me find the stupid frog."

I struggle to get out of the bush, I finally do. We wander aimlessly without any talking, you'd think sempai would of noticed that something was off by now, but he didn't.

Hopefully that Thing got the hint and got out of there.

"The prince is bored now, I'm out of here." He says finally.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, stupid froggy should know better by now." He smirked, _creepy. _"Tsk. I'ma have to punish him later."

We were making our way back to the mansion when:

"Hey guys, wait up."

I sweat drop.

_Well at least she said it monotone..._

"Hey frog..." Bel chuckled.

_Punishment time... yay, _I think half not paying attention. It wasn't till it was too late that I realized what was going on. By the time my reflexes has kicked in, sempai had already thrown the knives. Next thing I know they're in me, and I'm standing in front of Desirae.

Bel raises an eyebrow at this, well probably. Then he grins.

"Why is the princess defending the frog?" He approaches me. "And more importantly why isn't the princess bleeding?" He pulls out a knife from my shoulder and examines.

I glare, he had known all along. I had suffered for nothing.

He pushes me over and walks up to Desirae. I topple over and land in the mud. _Great now I'm dirty..._

"And I'm guessing this is all your doing?" He asks the princess.

She nervously nods.

"Why?" He asks in an almost mockingly way.

She doesn't answer but I assume Bel knows because he sighs and says, "You know I don't like you right?"

She nods again now on the verge of tears.

"Then what are you still doing here?"

She doesn't reply, instead she falls to her knees and breaks out into sobs. The beloved frog hat falling into the mud and rolling to Bel's feet. He picks it up and tosses it to me slamming me back into the mud puddle.

"Told you not to take it off frog." He says before walking off.

_He's not expecting me to put in on NOW is he? It's dirty..._

I look back over at Desirae. She's sobbing like crazy,AND AGAIN I find my myself in that awkward position in which I don't know what to do. I get up from the mud hole I'm in and slowly approach her.

I know that she probably deserves being in this situation, and I should be laughing my head off. But for some unknown reason (that I'd be hating myself for later) I felt guilty. _For what!? _My subconscious argues.

I'm a horrible person really.

"Um..." I say searching for words.

"Fran..." She sobs before jumping quickly and hugging me (Although at first I thought she was going to strangle me). "Thank you. You're the best."

"Um... yeah." I say trying to loosen the death grip.

"Thanks for doing this for me." She smiled rubbing her eye. "I owe you big time k?"

"Mkay..." I say starting to head back.

I don't know if she followed but, I was done here, and that was that.

End of Measure 3

* * *

Beware Desirae haters... it is not over yet! But don't worry vengeance is near! Sort of... it'll be a while...

Anyway, sorry if you were disappointed by Fran not having to wear the skirt. I just felt like he deserves a break, in many other fics he tends to always lose the argument in cases in which he has to wear a skirt, so I gave him a break ^.6

Please R&R comments are good both positive and negative!

-Echo


	4. 4th Measure

Measure 4

.........................................................................................................................................................................................Two. For. One.

"Vroi... Fran," Squalo glared at my attempt to sneak into the meeting fifteen minutes into it.

I had over slept again.

I looked around for a place to sit, but the only seat available was the Boss's (who never actually attended the meetings so there was really no point in having the throne in the room just wasting air).

"Ushishi... what a bummer," Bel smirked as I looked around, "froggy is still alive."

"Will you sit down already!" Squalo utters in annoyance.

"Where?"

"I don't care! Just sit!"

"Froggy can sit on my lap if he wants."

"Thanks for the offer sempai, but I think the floor offered first." I say sitting down on the floor.

That seems to be enough for Squalo because he continues the meeting.

"As you already know, we've been in search for a new cloud guardian for quite sometime now."

"Yeah it's been like what? Ten Years now?" Some one shouted from the crowd.

"YEAH WELL YOU KNOW WHAT!" Squalo began only to be quieted by Lussuria. He cleared his throat and began again. "Well you know, we don't give the job to just anyone."

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure that's what you guys did in my case..." I object.

He glares at me.

"Fran was the exception, he was recommend to us." Lussuria assured the group. "He's Rokudo Mukuro's apprentice you know?"

There were some 'ohh's and 'ahh's in the crowd. I rolled my eyes at them.

"Moving on!" Squalo gritted his teeth. "We're here because we have finally found someone that qualifies for the position. Well more like someones."

Lussuria came back, I hadn't noticed when he even left. He came back with two others. Twins, a boy and a girl, they looked around the age of ten. The girl had a scared look on her face, while the boy just looked pissed off.

"Again with the kidnapping thing?" I ask, "you know any day now child services is going to show up at our door step..."

Squalo shot me another look, "Believe it or not they came here willingly." He motioned towards them. "Every one, Hymn and Melodii. Your new Cloud guardians."

" Which one's which?" Someone in the crowd had taken to thought that both of the names were pretty girly. This made the angry looking boy look even more pissed.

"Hymn~ is this adorable looking young man~" Lussuria cooed, "and Melodii is this doll~"

More questions were thrown out there but to sum it up for you; in three long hours we learned that they were not 10 but in fact 13. They had come from a small village here in Italy and that they had in fact come willingly.

"Wait- are you telling us that these kids will now be in charge of the Cloud unit?" Someone else asked.

"Yes they will and if anyone has a problem with that feel free to test our new members, I'm pretty sure they'd be willing to demonstrate their skills." Squalo answers, "...but do it outside if you must. Meeting adjourned."

With mumbles and some scuffling, everyone exits the building.

"Yo frog."

I turn around, it's sempai.

"Sharky wants to talk to you."

I look over to the long haired commander who is glaring at me. _What did I do now?_

"Vroi, Fran." He says as I approach him. "For the first couple of days I need you to watch over them." He motions to the twins.

"Um... okay..." I say unsure, I myself haven't been staying here for that long.

"Their room is the vacant on next to yours, so go show them where that is."

"Fine, whatever." I say motioning for the kids to follow.

….......................................................................................................................................................................................Life. Can. Only. Worsen. From. This. Point. on.

"Here it is." I say opening the door to the room. It had been empty for a while so it was pretty boring and gray looking. "And if you guys have any questions, I'm right next door." I point to my own door.

"I have one." The angry looking boy spoke up, "How long have you been in the Varia?"

"I dunno..." I hadn't kept count. "3-4 months maybe."

"And is it true you're Rokudo Mukuro's apprentice?" Interrogation much?

"Yeah... I guess."

"Hm..." He says like he's analyzing the situation. "Would you call yourself a skilled assassin or mafioso?"

"I think so..."

He eyes me suspiciously.

"You do realize you were being followed this whole time?"

I'm taken back at his words. _I was?_

"Some mafioso..." He says rolling his eyes at me and going into his room. His frightened sister follows, and starts to close the door.

"I think her name is Desier, no Destiny, no..." She concentrates hard on something. "Desirae." She says shyly before shutting the door.

_Who are these people? _

I wonder turning to my room. But next thing I know I'm face to face to the Thing. _Where the hell did she come from? _

"Hi!" She says cheerfully.

_Despicable._

"Err... hi?"

"Whatcha doin?"

"Going to my room... you?"

"Nothing... just wonderin..." She looks at the ground. "Wanna hang out?"

"Hang out where?" I say before thinking.

"I dunno..."

"Wait-rewind. Did you just ask me to hang out!" My mind finally kicking into gear.

"Mhhmm!" She nods.

"Why?"

"Well I was thinking..."

_Oh no..._

"And considering all the nice things you've done for me..."

_Please don't say..._

"I think you're a much nicer guy than Bel-kun..."

"You think we should be good friends too?" I react quickly cutting her off. "Great, me too! Just Friends! Nothing more! I'll see ya around then! Gotta go do homework! Talk to you later! Bye!"

I slip into my room slamming the door behind me. _ That was a close one... _

As I slowly slip into another migraine, I have all but one thought in my head.

_This girl moves fast._

…............................................................................................................................................................................................Who's. Idea. Was. It. Again?

"So in the training area, all you really have to do is locate the targets and dispose of them." I explain. "The term 'dispose' here means destroying the computer inside the dummy that is located where a normal human heart would be on an actual person. The computer though, is only 2 x 2 cm to improve accuracy. Microchips are also located at all the vital points a human being would have. Hitting those can also stop the computer-heart from 'living'. Comprendo?"

The girl nods while the boy just gives me a look.

"I'm going to take your silence as a yes." Can you tell I don't want to be here?

"Begin." I say stepping back, my turn to watch today.

Melodii just stands there as her brother disappears into the forest. To an untrained eye it may seem like she's doing nothing, but she's actually muttering to herself. Numbers maybe? More like coordinates. In the mean time Hymn is heading towards the first target. _Twin telepathy maybe? _He's heading... and he's done with the first target. Impressive, he didn't even stop. There goes a second and a third. I reset the GPS to make sure it wasn't just broken, but I guess the Shark wasn't lying when he said these kids were top notch. I press the level up button, this was obviously too easy for them. Now the targets would fight back. Not hard, but it'd make it slightly more annoying.

Hymn gets to the fourth and it does in fact take him exactly 20 seconds longer than it did with the first three, but still too easy. So I level it up again. The sister senses the change in pace and also disappears into the brushes. Quite quickly I might add.

On the grid I see that she took the southern end while her brother takes the north. These people work fast. Unlike me, I usually just let sempai do the dirty work. They're almost done, so I turn it up one level more. The targets will now attack them. They are now switching roles... I think. Well they're running away from them that's for sure, but I don't think it's because they're afraid. They meet up, and what happens next I don't know because the grid completely wipes out. I reset it again, but still nothing.

"I told you it was a bad idea," Hymn comes out of the bushes arguing. "You're such a girl Mel."

"You're a girl, you took down 30' 24'' in 15 seconds!" Look at that, the girl actually has vocal chords. "I told you that eating all that junk food would slow you down!"

"Your readings were off, that's why!"

"Yeah that's what you always say."

"Because that always happens!"

"Excuses. You don't even have guts to admit your own mistakes."

"I admit I was a little slower than usual, but I was on new grounds. And besides you were off on the first one by a couple millimeters."

"Aye, Mr. and Ms. Incredible," I interrupt. "What's with the black out?"

"Mels overdid it."

"Overdid what?"

"VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIIIII!" The long haired commander appears out of no where. "WHAT THE HELL?"

"Can you be any louder?" I say as he approaches us.

"FRAN! WHAT THE F*CK ARE YOU DOING?"

"What you told me to, watching them train."

"I TOLD YOU SPECIFICALLY TO TRAIN THEM SEPERATELY!"

"I thought that was stupid and a waste of time." I say honestly.

"There was a reason for that idiot!" He says smacking his forehead, "come here," he pulls me away from the twins.

"Okay the reason I said to train them separately was because together they might as well as be Hiroshima all over again." He explains.

"Hiroshima?"

"I dunno if you noticed smart one, but these kids are not average, and like most twins they work at best when they're side by side."

"I see..." I say understanding.

Squalo stomps off and we head back to the mansion. Target practice has officially been postponed for the next two weeks as they restore the training grounds. (Later I had learned that the explosion they had made left a giant crater in the middle of the estate.)

...

"Look, it's your girlfriend again." Hyme announces as we approach the mansion.

"Again..." I glare as she begins to approach us.

"Hey Fran!" She smiles and I roll my eyes.

"Hey," I say stopping.

"What's up?"

"Not much,"

"Are you by any chance doing anything later?"

"Um, yeah Squalo just told me that I have to go tell Bel-sempai about the accident." I curse as Hymn chokes 'liar' behind me. Desirae doesn't notice.

"Accident?"

"Yep, we kinda blew up the training grounds."

She laughs, "Oh Fran you're so funny!"

"Really?"

She nods.

"Fran-sempai," Melodii tugs on my jacket, "I really think we should go report the news to Bel-sempai."

"Because he gives a damn right?" Hymn says sarcastically.

I shoot him another look, "She's right, sorry Des, but I have to go." I excuse myself.

"Um okay, I'll see ya around." She says frowning, and I almost feel bad for her but I really don't want to get in more problems.

...................................................................................................................................................................................................Problems. Solved. Problems. Made.

I was heading to the kitchen when I saw Desirae in there talking to Lussuria. She saw me, and I pretended not to notice. I continued to walk down the hall and turned into the Library. Bel-sempai was in there, reading believe it or not. I stand in front of him trying to get a glimpse of the title.

"What do you want?"

I peer over his book. "I wanna know if you're actually reading it."

"Go away."

I sit down beside him.

Silence.

"So sempai," I start, "You love Desirae right?"

"What?" He says putting the book down.

"Don't ya?"

"Why? Do you seriously think I do?"

"Well Lussuria said that because you didn't kill her when you killed the rest of your family, that meant you liked her."

"Really?" He asked eying me (I think).

"Yes really, now do you like her yes or no?" I say annoyed.

"Why does the frog want to know so bad?" He asks sensing my impatience.

"Just... because."

He leans in observing my face, I keep it blank. He searches for a weak point, and unfortunately he finds it. He grins and laughs that annoying laugh of his.

"Really? That is so gross!" He laughs, "that's like falling in love with yourself!"

"I know right? But it's not like you're one to talk sempai." My hat welcomes one of his knives.

"Well at least she's over me!" He grins and lays back running his hands through his hair.

"Funny." I glare, "Anyway was I that obvious?" I ask becoming self cautious.

"No, she's standing out in the hall." He says quietly.

I turn to check.

"Don't look back idiot." He says sitting up again.

"Do you want me to get rid of her for you?" He offers grinning.

"Sure why not." I say monotonously.

"Fine," He grins in my face.

"Whoa, a little too close there bud," I say backing off.

"Idiot. Don't move." He glares quietly, his hand lifting my face towards his.

"Is this how you plan to get rid-"

"Shh!"

"I didn't want-"

"Shh!"

"I thought you-"

"Frog."

"Fine whatever." I sigh rolling my eyes.

"And wait for it..." He waits for her to look. "not yet... and... there."

I close my eyes and await for dear old Death to slice my head off. Unfortunately he doesn't, and I feel sempai's lips on my chin. _So he's faking it, _ I think slightly relieved.

_1... 2... 3..._

_is it over yet? Nope._

_4... 5... 6..._

_What the hell is sempai doing? He's going to give her weird thoughts..._

_7... 8... and done._

"You can open your eyes now stupid frog."

"Um yeah," I look up to see sempai laying back on the couch again.

"You owe me frog."

"Yeah thanks, I think."

"A real kiss would have been more believable, but you look like a virgin to me so I figured that you haven't had your first kiss yet."

I glare at him because it was true, and he laughs.

"Whatever, I wouldn't of cared." I defend.

"I'll make note of that then." He smirked. "Anyway, in what way did you think I was planning to get rid of her?"

"I dunno, ripping her intestines out and choking her with them?"

He laughs, and how annoying is that laugh.

"Well that should get her off our back for a while no?" He says as he gets up to leave.

"Lets hope so." I say as he exits the room.

Measure 4 end-er wait...

"Oh and the reason I didn't kill her was because she lived in another castle genius." Bel pops in grinning.

"That would make sense." I say nodding slowly.

Measure 4 end.

* * *

Look at that new characters :P you're not supposed to hate these ones, just Desirae... lol who btw isn't done wreaking havoc yet unfortunately :\

Sorry if the not-real-kiss made you want to stab something because it wasn't real XD but don't worry I'll get there! Let's not rush things! So many things yet to happen!

I also apologize for any grammar mistakes that me or my fabulous proof reader Akane didn't catch!

Anyway please tell meez what you thinkz! ;)

-Eko


	5. 5th Measure

Measure 5

...And. They. Kissed.

_Desirae stared in disbelief,_

_It was something she had wished to not have seen,_

_The prince had kissed the frog._

_But now nothing could be done. _

...Because. That. Is. The Least. Of. Our. Problems.

"So what do you think?"

I didn't know what scared me the most, the fact that the person standing in front of me was actually speaking to me, or the situation that person was putting me in at the moment.

"Um... it's cool I guess."

I hadn't seen Desirae in a week. And I think it's safe to say that it had been in fact the happiest week of my life. But now I wasn't sure what or how to feel.

She had dyed her hair black.

It's not that it's bad looking, it's just different.

"Do you like it?"

"It's... nice."

She frowned for a moment, then the smile flashed back.

"So how've you been Fran? I haven't seen you in a while." She started to walk along side of me.

"Yeah I've been okay."

"What about Bel-kun?"

"How would I know?" I say bluntly before thinking.

"Oh... I dunno then... never mind."

"Great. She's back." Hymn stopped in front of us, Melodii hiding behind him, the norm.

"Nice to see you too booger face." She glares at him.

"Witch." He shoots back.

"Fran-nee-chan~ I need your help with something~!" I look down and Mels is tugging on my jacket.

"Ew, what did you do to your hair?" Hymn examining Des's hair.

"Don't touch me twerp!"

"Frannnn~~ Bel-sempai was looking for you~!"

"Um okay?"

"Actually I don't think green suited you either," Hymn went on, "You looked like a martian."

"Fran-nee-chan I'll take you to him~!" Melodii was now pulling me away.

"Hey wait-"

"Unlike Fran," Hymn pointed at me, "It works on him." He smirked

"We look the same f*cktard." She says annoyed.

"Fran-nee-chan~!"

_When the hell did she even start calling me that?_

"Okay okay" I say giving in and following her, leaving the lovely newlyweds behind. "Where is he?" I ask as we turn down another hall.

She stops and shrugs.

"What? Then why did you tell me he was looking for-"

"Ushishishi," I felt a knife or two pierce my hat, "Is the frog picking on my precious Melodii?"

"Bel-nee-chan~!" She yells, believe it or not, as she jumps on him.

Over the last week she had become overly attached to Bel (god knows why). He was the only other Varia member she spoke to other than her brother and I. And he apparently had adopted the kid as his daughter, they had also gone out training multiple times. Every time she comes back I wonder how in earth she managed to stay alive. The case being the same with the long haired commander and the little devil kid. Hymn had taken a liking to the practice of the sword.

"Bel-kun~! Desirae is back!"

He chuckles, "Is that why my Mel left me?"

She nods, "I had to protect Fran-kun."

"Ah, is that why?" I say putting it all together.

"Meh, the frog can protect himself."

"But Bel-kun protected him the other day,"

"When was this?" I asked confused.

"When he kissed you remember?"

"YOU TOLD HER?" I glare only slightly less monotonic than normal.

"Ushishishi," he snickered, "She saw stupid frog."

"But it's okay cuz Bel-kun was doing to protect Fran-kun," The doll-like girl says shyly, returning back to her normal self.

"It was fake you know?" I ask her.

She smiled a shy smile, "It sure didn't look fake."

At this I sweat drop.

At this Bel breaks out into uncontrollable laughter.

And at this I glare.

...How. Much. More. of. This. Can. I. take?

"Soda."

"Juice."

"Water."

"H2O."

"Treasure."

"Pirates- Wait, how does H2O remind you of treasure?"

Sempai and I were playing the 'this reminds me of this' game at a local park. We had finished their assignment earlier and were on there way home from a small town on the outskirts of Torre del Greco, when our car broke down. We had been instructed to walk a couple blocks down the road to the park and where we were to be picked up shortly. We were also instructed to do this discreetly and without drawing attention to ourselves. So now we were bored, well it was mostly Bel-sempai who was bored since he wasn't allowed to throw knives in a park full of children.

"Well," I began to explain blankly, "H2O reminded me of the tiny droplets of water in the air, and that reminded me of a rainbow, which has at pot of gold at the end, then gold reminded me of treasure. Simple."

He stared at me strangely for a second. "Freak."

"Bel-sempai. Oh-wait, I thought we were still playing the game." I taunt.

It took him a while to place two and two together but then he glared at me.

"You know, if only you weren't wearing the princes clothes..."

"Urgh. Don't remind me..." I say in disgust. It was true. I couldn't walk around discreetly in uniform or in the frog hat (which I was more than happy to get rid of). So I borrowed Sempai's hoodie, I was wearing it with the hood up so my bright colored hair wasn't as noticeable. Sempai was reluctantly tiara-less, and without his Varia jacket he appeared to be a normal everyday teenager who just so happened to be hanging out at a park. Yes, that's right, Sempai actually gave the appearance of someone who was _normal,_ even with the hair.

"You thinking of coming down from there anytime soon?" He interrupted my thoughts looking up to where I sat.

I was sitting at the top of a slide, with no intention of coming down. You see I was comfortable and I just so happen to enjoy heights very much.

"Nope," I answer.

After a moment of not hearing an answer I peer over the edge of the slide, fearing that he'd of ditched me in the middle of nowhere. But no, he's there, on the bench, where I had left him. He was staring out into the distance, and seemed to be thinking really hard about something. So I did what any normal person would... threw an object at him.

This _object_ was just whatever I was able to find in my/sempai's jacket pocket. In this case I found a receipt from some restaurant, a gum wrapper, and a small box of tic-tacs. I threw the gum wrapper first. I missed. Then I threw the crumpled up receipt next, that bounced of him ineffectively.

As I prepared to throw the tiny empty plastic box at him...

"I dare you." He grinned mockingly, not taking his eyes off whatever he had been so carefully focused on.

"Oh darn." I say lowering my arm.

"No I insist," He grins familiarly, "Throw it."

"Nah, it's not fun when you're expecting it." I say calmly returning the box to it's pocket.

I slowly scoot to the edge of the slide and let myself slip down slowly. I get to the end and walk over to the bench to join sempai.

"So what are you staring at?" I ask trying to look for whatever is holding his attention.

"Huh," He huffs, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

He stands up and kicks the dirt a bit. I observe without commenting.

"Fran,"

"Yeah?"

"You kn-"

"Wait... did you just call me by my actual name?" I realize.

"Yeah, ever mention it to anyone and you won't wake up the next morning."

I flinch a little.

"Anyway, I was saying..." He looks over in my direction, or so it seems. " I'm sorry, for you know... Desirae."

Was he apologizing? That was what it seemed it was. An apology. But was he being serious? He looked sincere enough, so I replied as seriously as I could manage with out ruining my image.

"Um, no prob." I shrug. "It's not really your fault."

"Yeah."

I stare at him blankly for a moment. He was probably expecting something encouraging like a smile or something like that, but that was unlikely. Eventually he's the one that grins and turns out to the street.

"What?" I ask wanting to know what about the situation amused him.

"Nothing frog." He mumbles walking away. "Our ride is here."

...When. You. Prefer. to. Sell. Your. Soul. to. a. mad. Man. Rather. Than. Hanging. Out. With. a. she-devil. Then. You. Know. You. Have. Problems.

It wasn't until I returned to the mansion and ran into my dear friend Des, that I realized that something horrible had overcome me: _I prefer Bel-sempai over Desirae._

The horror.

I excused myself quickly before she could protest, and found safety in the twin's room.

"So why are you here again?" Hymn objects from his corner of the room, where he sat playing on some sort of hand-held device.

"Because," I say moving my black king forward a space. "The witch is more likely to come into my room rather than yours."

"Checkmate." Mels announces placing her queen in front of my king.

"So I hear you were stranded at a park with Bel-sempai this morning, how'd that go?"

"How do you think it went?" I mutter as I reset my chess pieces.

"I was amazed you came back alive." Hymn laughs.

"You know," Mels speaks up, placing a white pawn forward two squares. "Bel-kun doesn't hate Fran-sempai as much as he makes it seem. Right Fran? You guys are friends right?" She looks at me to agree.

"I guess, we're not all that close but we can stand each other sometimes..." I ponder it, "Well we haven't killed each other yet right?"

"And there was that one favor he did for you." Mels smiles shyly.

"What favor?" Hymn asks looking up suddenly a little too interested.

"Er-" I began.

"Bel-sempai got rid of Desirae for Fran!"

"How?"

"By making it seem like he was interested in him."

I suddenly find myself an in uneasy situation.

"How did he do that?"

"Mels..."

"Um..." She looks at me questioningly, and on the inside I plead her not too. And she doesn't... but,

"You kissed him!" Hymn with a seriously shocked expression.

Curse that twin telepathy.

"Well not really-"

"That's gross!" He yells freaking out. "Disturbing!"

"It was fake..." I protest and he calms down a little.

He remains quite for a moment.

"I'm leaving." I announce feeling out of place.

"You don't have to," He says sighing, "Just the thought kind of freaked me out, sorry."

I sit back down on Mel's bed to continue our game.

"Sorry," She apologizes worriedly.

"It's fine." I say.

"You know," Hymn speaks up from behind his video game, "now that I think about it,if you _were_ gay with Bel-sempai it wouldn't be all that shocking."

Really? Why wouldn't it be?

* * *

So I kinda like how Melodii supports their relationship... lol anyway please R&R!

_"If an optimist had his left arm chewed off by an alligator, he might say in a pleasant and hopeful voice, "WEll this isn't to bad, I don't have a left arm anymore but at least nobody will ever ask me if I'm left-handed or right-handed" but most of us would say something more along the lines of "Aaaaaa! My arm! My arm,!" -L.S._


	6. 6th Measure

Measure 6

…A. Turn. of. Events.

"Frannie~" Lussuria looks up from behind the stove. "You alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" I ask curiously, it had been the third time today I had been asked that and it was barely 10 in the morning.

"I dunno you look kind of pale~" The colorful man shrugs wearily before sighing. "But maybe it's just me, I am kinda nervous, today's the day!"

"Oh yeah you guys are leaving for Japan today." I say remembering about the international mafia gathering taking place this week.

"Yeah~ are you sure you're going to be alright for a week? Just you and the twins."

"Yep, although lately you guys have been extra trusting in me." I say raising an eyebrow.

"Well Fran we consider you one of us now~" He smiles.

I tried not to smile but I think he saw through it because he laughed.

"Okay, so here I've made lunch from you guys." He points at the perfectly wrapped lunch packs on the counter. "There's more in the fridge, enough to last you till Friday. Just pop them in the microwave whenever you guys are hungry~! I made extra because Levi should be getting here on Wednesday from his mission in Brazil." He looks at the clock with a quick worried expression. "Oh darn it's almost time... I wonder if Bel will make it."

Sempai was scheduled to go with the long haired commander, the boss, and Lussuria, but for the last two days he had been away in England. He was supposed to have gotten here this morning but his flight had been delayed.

"Well if he doesn't I guess you'll probably have enough food." He says before being beckoned into the hall by the shark.

"Morning Fran-kun," Melodii chimes in walking into the kitchen.

"Morning Mels."

"Hey, do you know if Bel-kun is back yet." She asks sitting on the stool across from where I was leaning against the counter.

"I don't think so, but I wouldn't know."

She shrugs helplessly, she seemed to mope around a lot when sempai wasn't around. According to her brother she felt better around me, so I let her tag along. Also she kept Desirae away and was a lot quieter than her.

"Hey Fran-kun," I look up to find her studying me hard, "Did you do something to yourself? You look different."

"Um no..." I say becoming strangely self-conscious. "I don't think so."

We heard some commotion out in the front hall and Lussuria comes in rushing to put the kitchen into place one last time.

"Okay huns~" He says quickly, "It looks like Bel-kun's not going to make it, so off we go k? We'll be back soon so-"

"VROOOOOIIIII! LUSSURIA!"

"Eeii~ Squa-chan I'm not ready!" He squeals before Squalo marches into the kitchen to drag him out. "Ah~ well~ Frannie take good care of everyone for me~! And remember that I'll be calling every-"

SLAM!

The double doors cut off Lus's sentence. We, in the kitchen, sweat drop.

...The. Arrival. of. The. Genius. And. Not. so. Horrible. Horrid. News.

Bel sempai arrived noonish, kinda peeved off, and headed directly to his room to shower.

Then all four of us gathered in the lounge (Lussuria would be offended for not eating in the dining room) watching the Grudge and eating the food left behind for us. Hyme sat at the end of the couch with his mouth hanging open and the spoon in it, his eyes not leaving the television. Mels sat behind the couch curled up in a ball. Sempai on the floor in front of me, kind of bored.

Then there was a knock on the door.

Melodii screams, and Hymn jumps slightly.

"Go get it frog." Sempai instructs.

I get up, but soon Mels is clinging on to me begging me not to. Hymn sighs and stomps off to get it himself.

He comes back soon.

"Who was it?" Snaps Bel.

"No one," he says kind of unsure, "but I found this..." He hands me a letter and I read it:

_We have the princess._

_She will be allowed to live till tomorrow noon._

_Send two to come,_

_You know what we want, bring it or else. _

_-10_

"F*ck." Sempai swears reading over my shoulder.

I myself felt a little guilty for not even noticing she was gone. And everyone in the room felt guilty for not caring what happened to her. In the end though, we knew we were going to have to save her...

...and. Here. we. go.

Thirty minutes later we met up in the hall. Ready and set for what was to come before us. Bel had called for a car to come and get us.

He seemed to know what was going on. I had no idea who this '10' person was, what these people wanted, or where they had taken Desirae. Whatever, I guess he was genius after all.

"Sempai," Melodii broke the silence that stuffed the car with excess quiet.

Bel looked up, from staring at some papers.

"What's going on?" She asks shyly.

"Yeah, it's be nice to know." Hymn mutters staring out the window.

"..." Bel sighs, "I don't know really."

"Do you at least know where we're going?" I ask now kind of lost.

"Yeah, I know where they're keeping her," He explains, "But that's because of the note." He holds up the ransom note.

"You see it's ripped out of hotel stationary." He points at the watermarked logo. "It is a chain hotel, but the phone number at the top includes the area code. It's in Beragamo. And seeing that this is a piece of the hotel's personal stationary the likely hood that this was written by someone who works there is high. So Des was probably kidnapped by an employer who is keeping her somewhere in the hotel, like in a basement or somewhere only accessible by employees."

It takes some time for us to process all this.

"I dunno..." Hymn speaks up. "It all sounds kind of if-y. I mean like, a little too obvious."

"I know, and I'm sure they did it on purpose." Sempai pauses. "They were a little too sloppy and it's obvious that they want us to find them."

"Have you figured out what they want?" I ask.

"No but-" He stops and looks at me for a moment, I think.

"What?"

"You look... pale." He notes.

"Wha?" I look at my reflection in the window.

"I knew it wasn't just my imagination!" Mel joins in.

"I dunno why I would be." I defend confused once more.

"Now that I think about it, you do look rather pale." Hymn adds.

Now I'm beginning to feel very self cautious, but I know that if I look away I'd only make it more obvious. I'm in the middle of panic mode when I feel sempai's hand slap to my forehead and stay there. I look at him questioningly then he smacks me.

"You have a fever stupid." He glares.

"I do?"

"How do you not feel a fever!"

I shrug as Melodii puts her own hand to my cheek.

"Fran-kun I think you'd better take off the hat." She asks more than states, looking in sempai's direction.

"Take it off and die." He glares once more.

"But he's really warm!"

"I don't care, his fault for getting sick."

"I don't feel any different." I say.

The driver announces that we have reached our location. Sempai gets out of the car first, then Hymn. And Melodii just gives me this worried look before getting out herself.

I take a step out of the car sighing. This is not going to be an easy task.

End of Measure 6.

* * *

Look at that... I cut a chapter in half... I thought it would be for the better :P

Anyway I hope you likes! R&R!


	7. 7th Measure

Measure 7

…Finding. What. no. one. Wants. To. Be. Found.

We get out of the car behind the hotel. The night had bled deeper into the cloudless sky. I can't help to feel a little excited. Maybe it was the fever, maybe it was exciting. I wouldn't know I had never rescued someone I almost not really cared about.

"So what now?" Hymn asks as we step into the shadows behind the hotel.

"We find her duh." Bel states as plainly as you'd think.

"But I thought the note said only two of us could go."

Bel made a 'you probably can't tell but I'm rolling my eyes under my hair' face. "We don't care, and even if we did, we have to find her first anyways."

"You said she was in the basement."

"I said she was probably going to be kept in a place where only employees have access too, LIKE a basement." He smacks Hymn upside the head. "We can't be too sure, so lets split up."

Melodii immediately stepped over by Bel's side. I look over at Hymn.

"So it's me and you I guess." I say.

"Guess so frog boy."

"Okay," Bel turns to me, "Fran, you and the kid will check into the front desk and explore the top floors. Me and Mels will sneak in through the kitchen on the west side, where the restaurant is located. If you find something don't act, we'll meet up on a floor then we'll act." He hands me a radio and points to Hymn. "Try not to lose each other, I only brought two. When you check in, ask for room D506 on the 12th floor k?"

I nod.

"And if it's not available get room D506 on the 13th floor, but it should be vacant."

"Okay,"

"Good, now I'll radio you if we find something, but don't leave it turned on too high."

"Alright."

"Same to you k? Radio me if anything happens."

"Okay I get it."

He looks or maybe glares at me momentarily. Then he pulls me over placing the back of his hand on my forehead. He mumbles something I can't understand, but it sounds like an insult.*

"Better not get killed." He glares before leaving with Melodii.

"Lets go kill ourselves." I say loud enough for him to hear. I motion to Hymn, and I we began to walk.

...The. Game's. Afoot.

We had dressed casual ahead, so I just switch out the frog hat for a beanie, tucking my green hair out of sight.

The place was no Tipton**, but it was nothing cheap. I hand the man at the counter the Varia credit card given to me earlier, and he hands it back with the key card for our room.

"Remember we're looking for somewhere that civilians wouldn't be allowed, so if we can access it then it's not what we're looking for." I say as the elevator closes before us.

I press the first button, there was 25 floors that we had to search, Bel-sempai and Mels were to take the ground floor and down. It was pretty even since that included the parking garage levels. We had a long night ahead of us, and it had already been night for a couple of hours.

We search the first couple of floors, the only places that we couldn't get into were janitor closets. And after Hymn pick locked them, we found nothing other than cleaning supplies and a talking parrot.

Then we reached the 23rd floor and the elevator didn't open.

I press the open button, but nothing.

"Did the power go out?" Hymn asks.

"I don't think so, the lights are still on."

"Do you think it's broken?"

"I dunno lets see." I press the button for the 24th floor. It lights up and the boxed room moves. It dings and the doors slide open.

I get out. "Lets get on another one." I reach into the elevator and push the button for the third floor. Then we get out and wait.

Once we think our old elevator has reached it's destination, I press the down button, summoning another elevator. And sure enough another door opens this time.

We get in and press the button with the number 23 and it glows to life. The elevator reaches the floor and again nothing.

"Strange." Hymn says.

"But just what we're looking for." I say pulling out the radio to call sempai.

"Bel-sempai, I think we found something."

Silence.

"_Go on..." _His voice rings over the radio.

"The elevators won't let us onto the 23rd floor."

More silence. He must be thinking it over.

"_Okay, this is what you're going to do." _He begins. _"Go down to the front desk again, and did you buy the room earlier?"_

"Yeah,"

"_Well then get Hymn to buy it this time. Tell him to ask for a room on the 25th floor this time. And after you get done with that get back to me."_

He finishes and I put the radio away. I look at Hymn and he nods as I hand over the credit card.

...Unallowed.

"He said that the floor is under construction."

I repeat the words from Hymn into the radio.

Silence.

"_That's what I thought... okay lets meet in our room, we'll discuss there."_

We met them in room D506. Sempai is unhappy at the sight of no frog hat.

"Do you think they know we're here?" Melodii asks.

"I don't think so, but we can never be too sure." Sempai answers.

"So how are we going to do this?" Hymn's turn.

"I found the keys to the maintenance staircase when we were down in the basement."

I felt sorry for the unfortunate soul that sempai had 'found' the keys from.

"Okay then what?" I ask.

He grins. "We wing it."

Hymn raises an eyebrow.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Yeah but I don't think they'll be out in the open." He bites his lip casually, "We'll probably have to look for them. Fight a couple bad guys before that though."

I sweat drop at his easiness. What is this a shounen?***

...Well. Truly. I'm. Kinda. Glad.

Sempai opens the door to the 23rd floor. The corridors are dimly lit, and there's two ways to go.

"Mels, I think I should stick with you this time." Hymn speaks up. "That way if we do run into trouble we'll be strong enough to fight."

"Good idea," Sempai says handing his radio to Hymn, "We'll take this direction, radio us if you find anything."

"Alright." The twins start down the left corridor and I follow sempai down the right one.

It's quiet, but not in an awkward way, more in a 'we're working' way.

Eventually we come to a dead end. Having checked all the empty rooms so far we radio Hymn.

But there's no response.

"Maybe there's something blocking it." I say.

"Maybe." Sempai begins to head back. "But that's probably not the case."

_Way to be positive._ I think, but he's probably right.

He begins to walk faster.

"Sempai, wait." I say as a thought comes to me.

"What?" His tone is annoyed.

"The twins are stronger than us when they're together."

"And?"

"Well don't you think that we should be careful? If they were attacked, don't you think the likelihood of us making it is lesser than there's?"

"Either way, we have no other choice, we have to try to find them anyway."

"That's not what I meant, I mean don't you think there's another way to get to them?" I explain my thought process. "They're on the other wing, so maybe there's another staircase on the other side?"

He takes my thought at mind.

He hands me our radio. "Here, you keep it,"

I look at him questioningly.

"I'm going down a floor and find a way up into the wing, you continue down the hallway. I don't think you'll run into trouble too soon." He orders. "But if something does happen..." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pager. "Page HQ. Levi will probably get home in a day or two. Try to stay alive till then k?"

"Okay." I say thinking that maybe I'm underestimating the situation. Was it really that serious? Or maybe sempai knew something I didn't, but I wasn't going to press on.

I take the pager. "But if I have this, you should probably take the radio."

"Nah," He waves heading to the stairs, "It's not working anyway, I'll be fine," He grins a creepy grin. "I'm a prince after all." And with that he exits.

"Whatever." I say silently as I head down the dim hallway.

I'm getting closer to the end of the hall and I've found nothing. I close the door of room B213 behind me and approach the next door. A plaque reads _Ballroom #9_. I open the door and it's dark, I'm already uneasy.

Someone is in here. I quickly put up an illusion, but I know that they know I'm here. I close the door behind me, thanks to this illusion they can't see me, but since it's dark I can't see them either.

"Illusion." A voice rings through the room. "Nice, but where's Bel?"

The lights blare on, they hurt my eyes. I'm standing in the center of the big room, baffled. I know that I know this voice, and it comes to me before I can turn around to see who it is.

And it is.

It's my mirror image.

And she's smiling.

The horror.

* * *

* No, when Bel mumbles something he's not declaring his love for his frog, sadly :\ I was going to include it, but he actually notes that Fran is still warm (cuz you know the fever)

**Yes he's talking about Zack and Cody

***Silly Fran, Reborn is a shounen manga :P

Yep, is whatshername lol it turns out she _is_ evil :P


	8. 8th Measure

I apologize greatly for not having updated sooner, you see my laptop's charger died and my mother's computer is ancient, so I don't like using it :\ but I'm bored and in great need of Bel x Fran goodness ((which sucks butt 'cause I can't write good yaoi to save myself)) soooooo... lets do dis! :P

Measure 8

..The. Girl. in. the. Mirror.

_Where's Bel? _She asks, yeah I'd kinda like to know the same thing. Where the hell is he?

Relax Fran, she can't see you yet.

No, I'm not surprised it's her, I can see her plotting something like this. But who really goes this far?

I take a good look at the situation I'm in right now. Ballroom #9 is big-ish, someone has turned on the lights all the way, which hurts my eyes. The room is packed with boxes, crates and what not. Desirae is by the door, she's guarding it. She's examining her nails as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. It's because she doesn't know where I am, she's playing it cool.

I look around for the twins, but they're no where to be seen. I'd ask, but 1.) I can't throw my voice so if I did, she'd probably find me. And 2.) I highly doubt she'd tell me.

"They're in the storage closet in the corner." She speaks casually, proving my thoughts wrong. She points in the direction it's in, for a moment I think she's pointing at me.

"You can try to get them." She smiles mockingly, and I know that it's a trap.

I say nothing in return, but she continues.

"Or you can wait till Bel-kun comes, he is coming right?"

Silence.

"You are one obsessed chick," Oops. That slipped out.

Her head snaps up in my direction. I take off towards the closet door, I'm almost there when she turns off the lights. I trip and crash into some boxes.

She's laughing at me now. As I try to put myself together, someone to my right grabs my arm. It definitely isn't Desirae she's not taller than me nor this strong. Honestly, and I'll never admit this ever, but I was kinda hoping it was sempai.

Nope. Just some buff-henchman guy, whose tying my hands together.

Meanwhile, a single chandler glows to life, spotlighting where Desirae is standing. Grinning in my mirror image. The buff guy throws me in her direction and I land on the floor a couple of feet in front of her.

"So now what?" I ask monotonically, "You're going to wait for sempai to arrive, so you can force me into watching you rape him? Oh, I'm so scared."

"Oh ha ha." She frowns. "Funny. But that's not why we're here today."

"Then why-"

At the moment Bel-sempai comes in riding on a pony with a rainbow tail to rescue us-psych! Just kidding. Although, by this point in the game you'd think he would of. Well, you know without the pony part.

What really led to the interruption at the beginning of my sentence was an explosion that come from behind me.

"Fran-kun!"

I turn to see Melodii running in my direction and Hymn tackling some henchmen. I turn back to Desirae who's obviously shocked and tries to hide it, unfortunately ((for her)) she's not me.

"Mels! A little help over here!" Hymn is now somewhat drowning in henchmen.

"Hold on! Gosh!" Melodii trying to untie me. I'm still looking at Des, who seems to be frozen.

I'm let loose and we run over to help Hymn. We finish quickly, a little too quickly.

The lights go out again. Whoever is in charge of this light thing, they're really starting to irritate me now.

"Fran-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"What now?"

"I'm not sure,"

"Lets get out of here." Hymn suggests.

"But what about Desirae?" His sister objects.

"What about Desirae? She's evil. No need to rescue her now. Let's just go."

"We still need to figure out what she wants though."

"And what if Bel-kun comes and get's captured?"

"Yeah where is he by the way?" Hymn turns at me, "Wasn't the buddy system like his idea?"

"I'm not sure but-"

The sound of metal on hardwood floor cuts off my sentence. Melodii screams and the lights go back on. _Ow... my eyes... again..._

"You really think it's that easy?" It seems that Desirae has found her way to a microphone. I search for her but she's nowhere in sight.

"Fran run!"

I look back to Mels and Hymn, they are caged in. I look up, to see where it came from and I spot another on it's way down. I almost scream but it lands two inches to the left of me.

"Missed!" I say running over to the twins.

"No, run!" Mels yells. "We'll be fine!"

"It's fine, we're supposed to wait for sempai anyways." I explain.

"But you have to get out of here!"

"Why?"

"Because the she-witch is here for you." Hymn snaps, "Now get out of here, we'll wait for sempai."

"Wait why me? What'd I do now?" I raise an eyebrow. For Desirae to go to the extreme of killing me is rather... extreme.

"Ah... I'll explain it to you later just go!"

I didn't get it, I was completely confused but I started for the exit anyway.

"I don't think so,"

Her voice startles me, and I feel my self trip over something. I hear a click. I look down to see the string tied to the grenade tip fly across the floor.

_Oh darn... _

Quickly I jump into a pile of cardboard boxes for cover.

Not much of an effort but time wasn't exactly something I could count on. Soon the fireworks start and the flames seem to swallow me whole.

_Where the hell is sempai?_

_

* * *

_Sigh I was hoping to make this chapter longer but it's been 24 hours with my laptop back... anyway! Bel for sure in the next chapter! Sorry for any grammar or spelling errors -_-'' I proof read in a hurry, many apologies! I hope this is okay. :)


	9. 9th Measure

Measure 9

...Melting.

Well... now it's dark.

I'm also stuck in a room with an insane person who wants to kill me. Just great.

I'm on my knees trying to get a sense of things. _What is this?_ "Ow!" I hiss, the metal was hot.

_Damn it. Just damn it. _

"Fran!"

"Mels?" I look around. Why is it so dark in here?

"Fran run!"

Run where? I can't see anything.

"Idiot at least take cover." Hymn's voice snaps.

I go back behind my cardboard shelter, and an explosion goes off in the distance. I assume that's them escaping again.

"Some illusionist." I hear him approach. "Were you really trained by Rokudo Mukuro?"

Melodii at my feet helps me up.

"Your face is Rokudo Mukuro." I snap. "Now lets get out of here."

"Um... I don't think that's possible." Mels says nervously looking around, I assume she can see in the dark.

"The freak sealed off all the exits." Hymn explains, "Damn, where is she so I can friggin kill her all ready!"

"Calm down," I hear her. "I didn't plan on making this as difficult as you guys are making it." And she's close by.

"Don't touch me!" Hymn snaps, so I'm assuming she's with us.

A single ray of light flickers above us to prove me right, and we're surrounded.

"Des, obviously sempai isn't going to make it, so let us go already." I say.

"Tsk." She approaches me with a sarcastic frown on her face. "Hon, this isn't about Bel-sempai." She places her hand on my shoulder, I almost shudder. "It never was."

"Well can you tell us what it is so we can leave." I say removing her hand from off me.

"Fran-" Des cuts Mel off holding up a finger.

She looks at me or more like glares, "You know what this is about."

"No, I don't think I do."

She continues frowning at me for a moment, then turns on her heel and walks away.

"Well then," She pauses, "You better think hard."

I blink and she has a knife at my throat.

"Fr-" Melodii is cut off again, but if I turn to search for the cause I'm probably dead.

"B*tch!" I hear Hymn snap at my look alike. I imagine they have been captured in some way.

_If Bel comes back in one piece I'm going to kill him for not being here_. I glare and Desirae assumes it was intended for her.

"Any ideas?" She raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah," I begin, holding my hands behind me, "One, you're insane." I light up the ring given to me by my master, the blue flames are shot in her direction as I recreate an illusion to hide me.

I start running, I don't know where to, but I run. But seeing as I can't see anything in this dark I am caught once more. Another big guy, and this time with a taser, or what looks like a taser, because he's shocking me but I feel nothing. Except for the feeling that energy is being drained out of me. He's holding me by the wrist and I struggle to re-light my ring, but I tire out and the azure flames die out. To make it worse I feel my fever kicking in. I try hard to stay conscious, but it leaves me.

...Heir.

I regain consciousness slowly. I don't feel dead... yet.

It's bright in the room so maybe I am dead, but I think I hear Melodii.

"You awake brat?"

Wrong, it's the she-demon.

I'm in a bed. In a very bright white room. Are we still in the hotel, and is it morning? I can't tell, and my eyes are having trouble adjusting to the light. Her royal dictator stands in front of me.

"Why am I not dead yet...?" I say blankly. "You know you make a really bad bad-guy."

Her pissed off expression doesn't change, kinda like M.M.'s back at home.

"I'm not the bad guy here Fran." She glares, "You're just in my way."

I begin to reply with a snappy comeback, but she interrupts.

"This is not about Bel, Fran."

"Then I'd really like to know why I'm here."

"You really don't know?" She looks disgusted.

"No, I don't."

Silence.

"You're an idiot Fran."

Desirae lets out a small gasp at sempai's voice. I quickly search for him, ignoring the insult. He's standing at the door, the red from his injuries contrasts greatly against the white of our surroundings. When I say injuries I exaggerate, the blood seems to be not his own, and the fact that he's not in his Prince the Ripper mode confirms it. But he does look tired...

"Where the hell have you been?" I ask eying him.

"I missed you too." He frowns, "You do realize this is all your fault?"

"Mine?" I don't think so.

"How did you get in here!" Desirae snaps out of her former frozen state.

"Though the door like most people." He answers simply.

"But- but-" Speech fail. You stutter.

"I don't see how this is my fault."I add in.

Sempai approaches me, "It is." He pulls down the collar of my hoodie, reveling the lily shaped birthmark on my shoulder. "And that's why."

I stare at the violet mark. "I don't get it."

Desirae glares daggers before slapping me across the face.

"What was that for?"

"You know why!"

"Would you just explain to me why I'm here!"

"Des, I think the pineapple did something to him because he really doesn't know." Sempai interjects.

"Really!"

"Know what?"

"Well he has no reason to hide it."

"Brat, where are you from?" Des sneers at me.

"Where am I from? Like where I was born?"

"No where you fell out of the tree! Duh where you were born!"

"Rude much?" I mumble bitterly, "I'm from... hm... look at that I can't remember..."

"Told ya." Bel smirks.

"Montecuccolo." She says reluctantly. "It's one of the smaller hill towns of Emilia-Romagna. Basically a bunch of medieval houses around a castle, on a mountain."

"Never heard of it." I shrug.

"Well that's where you're from k!" She yells, "Anyway it just so happens that I'm from Castell'Arquato, another hill town in the same district. And well now I have to kill you."

"Yeah... you mean _had_." Bel corrects.

"Wait! How does that mean you have to kill me?" Still very confused.

"_Kufufu, it's because you're a prince."_

A twist to an old familiar line. I look up and sure enough the pineapple is standing there.

"Okay, where the hell were you two earlier when I was kinda dying?" I point at my master and sempai.

"Brat be grateful." Sempai snaps.

"Snarky little one," Mukuro grins.

"Anyway, you were explaining." Des says impatiently.

"Yeah, what was this about a prince, because if it's true then I have a lot of complaints for a certain fake prince sempai."

"If you want me to rip you to shreds...ushishi."

"So the deal is," Desirae takes over, "Frog boy just so happens to be the heir to Montecuccolo, seeing as you're the oldest boy in your family. I being the next in line for Castell'Arquato, a town much bigger and more influential than yours, am trying to expand my kingdom. Well me and my father anyway, your father is dead which makes quite a problem for us, because your territory lies in the area where we want to build a military base and the only way this can be made possible is if you and your town go kapooshka. The only way to do that is if the king agrees to it, but our families have been on bad terms for years. Your sister, who is older but not eligible for the throne, has spoken to us and has agreed to our terms in which we take of the expenses for your move. But she is not queen so it isn't official until you are pronounced dead, because apparently 'missing' doesn't make the cut. So I have to kill you."

"Really?" I raise an eyebrow. "That's stupid, why didn't you just ask me to refuse the crown?"

She is dumbstruck obviously. "Would you refuse it?"

"Well, I really don't care."

Mukuro in the background burst into laughter. The situation was really a ridiculous one.

"No way."

"What do I need it for?"

"Um... I don't know..." This must be an epic fail moment for this chick.

"And you," I interrupt my master's laughing fit, "Why on earth didn't you show up earlier to tell us all this?"

"Well a certain blond in the room was trying to pin this whole thing on me earlier so I'm here to defend myself," He smiles creepily, "I did not do anything to Fran's brain, he's just an idiot."

"Hey..."

"You forgot that you were a prince?" Desirae asks in disbelief.

"I guess, I forget things I don't care about or are of no interest to me."

"Interesting little fellow isn't he?" The pineapple smirks before fading away.

We sit in silence for a moment.

"So this was just a complete waste of my time." I say getting up from the bed... whoa... got up too fast. A shake it off and start towards the door.

"Waste of _my_ royal time." Sempai adds following me.

"A waste of _my_ royal time, and I actually HAVE a kingdom." Des on the end.

"Well your stupidity got us into all this." I push.

"BOTH of your guys' stupidity got us into all this." Bel says now leading our way down the hall.

"Who forgets they're a prince?"

"Who tries to kill people without an apparent reason?"

She glares.

I glare.

We all glare.

...I. don't. do. Corny.

I'm so tired.

We're all back in the car, sempai, the twins and I. The sun is shining bright but we aren't.

"This was stupid. That chick is a wacko." Hymn says bitterly, completely worn out.

"Fran," Melodii's voice surprises me seeing as I thought she was asleep. "do you still have a fever?"

"I dunno." I mumble trying not to fall asleep in the passenger seat.

I feel a hand on my forehead.

"No, it's gone." Sempai says from behind the wheel.

"Good." Mel says before nodding off.

"Yo, we almost there yet?" Hymn asks annoyed.

"Nope."

"I'm hungry."

"And I'm not?"

"Why couldn't we have bought something back at the hotel?"

Sempai then says something about furry pedophiles... or maybe he says angry hotel managers... or explosives... I can't remember I had fallen asleep by that point.

End of measure 9.

* * *

Okay so those to hill towns I mentioned are real places, I just have no idea if they're really close to each other or not, I highly doubt it though. Also I tried to make this chapter as less cliché as possible, but I utterly failed to do so :P Idk the line 'Kufufu, it's because you're a prince.' just completely killed it for me. But what ev... Bel's back and that's all that matters. XD

This is the end of this arc, not sure what to call it. But yeah not a lot of Bel/Fran but I promise that in the next arc for sure. Bel and Fran will leave for Fran's hometown ((along with Desirae -_-'')) for Fran's official refusal of the throne :P Gosh I've gone so off canon! Please r & r!

-Eko


	10. Count 1

1st Count

...Andante.

"Sempai, was it absolutely necessary for you to come?"

This being the fifteenth time I've asked that question, Bel-sempai answers with a knife to my hat. I return my attention to the aisle, some attendant in the distance trips over her feet, spilling a tray onto some unfortunate passenger.

Why am riding in an airplane full of sweaty whiny people you ask? Well you see, originally I was to fly to Montecuccolo FIRST CLASS, and BY MYSELF. But due to some serious protesting (threatening) brought to us by my lovely sempai, we are riding third class to Montecuccolo.

Why am I going to Montecuccolo with sempai? Oh yeah I'm refusing the crown to my village, or so that's what I was told. I didn't even know I had a crown TO refuse. And if I AM a prince do I have to wear stupid tiara like sempai?

Why am I refusing the crown? Because I don't need it. I can barely remember what I had for breakfast this morning and your expecting me to govern people?

Questions questions questions...

Mehhhhhhhhhhhhh.

... Have I mentioned that I have an irrational fear of airplanes, along with anything that goes over 5 feet up in the air and can possibly bring me to an untimely DEATH.

Of course I'm trying to not let sempai learn of this fear of mine, so I let him have the window seat. I'm also trying to distract myself, like-hey look at that bug crawling across the floor, I hope that lady steps on it. OR, that paint chipped blob looks like Lussuria's Mohawk, stuff like that.

Oh crap, the guy just announced over the intercom something about landing...grr...

I close my eyes and wait for the plane to shift downwards.

And even as I'm waiting for it, prepared and everything, it fricken scares the SHIT out of me.

God. I hate landings.

"What are you doing?" Sempai speaks up after we've landed.

I open an eye, and observe that during the terrorizing landing I grabbed a part of his sleeve.

"Er... I don't know."

He smacks my hat. "Don't touch the prince."

"Well technically I'm a prince too." I say getting up slowly when we are allowed to do so.

"Don't remind me." He mumbles waiting for me to exit into the aisle.

I struggle to get it out and once I think I've got it, I trip falling flat on my face.

Sempai simply walks over me and continues to exit the plane.

"I'm fine don't worry about me." I say sarcastically getting up and following him.

"Okay what do we do now?" I ask as soon as we enter the airport parking lot.

"What do you mean what now?" Stab. "You're supposed to know!"

"Well Squalo said that from here we have to rent a car to drive up into the hills."

"And what are you waiting for?"

"I dunno."

Smack.

"You didn't have to come you know."

Smack.

* * *

Eekkkk... I wish this was longer... sorry it took literally the WHOLE summer to update, my laptop exploded. Okay not really, but you get me. I like this laptop much better anyway. But yeah I promise more updates and to update often :)

-Eko


	11. Count 2

Count 2

Adagio...

"Turn here."

"Right or Left?"

"Left, I think."

"I think?"

I take another glance at the map. "What road are we on?"

Sempai swerves to the side of road, braking harshly before turning the car off. He grabs the sovenier map I got at the airport from me. "You are an idiot."

I look out the tinted window, resting my chin on my hand. The sun is in the center of the sky beaming across the green/brown hills of the country side. It's a pretty day... a little TOO pretty. I glance back at Sempai, who studies our whereabouts momentarily, before cursing.

He throws the map in my face, and re-starts the car. With a sharp U-turn we return the way we came.

"Are we lost?"

"No we just went the wrong way."

"We're so lost."

"Not lost."

"We should ask for directions."

"Who Fran? Who?" Look he knows my name. "There's no one here! There's nothing here!"

"We are you driving so fast? The speed limit is 45."

"There's no cars around."

"But the turns-"

Crash!

I cover my head at the sound of breaking glass.

Sempai's attempt to knife me, ended with the passenger window exploding into a billion pieces.

"Tsk." I tease tonelessly. "Look at what you've done."

"..."

"It was a rental too." I smile mockingly.

...Moderato.

After a really really really really really really really really really really really really really really REALLY LONG time. We eventually get there.

Sempai sighs as we enter the town.

I observe some children playing in a fountain.

"What do you think?" Bel sempai asks, running his hand through his hair.

"Your hair?" I look at him blankly, "You need a haircut, like really bad."

Stab.

He_ knew _I _knew_ that he had mean the city, and by _knowing _this I had_ known _what kind of response would irritate him the most, only I could of _known._

_Knowledge _is key. :)

"It looks... dirt colored," I answer for real, observing the similar houses made of beige brick. "With people that actually look Italian."

He gives me a whatthehellareyoutalkingabout? look.

"Well do I look Italian to you?"

"You are Italian."

"Yeah the world's palest green haired midjit Italian."

"Ushishishi."

"Seriously dude, look at that kid! He looks like Xanxus! Soft looking olive skin with black hair." I point out the [newly repaired] window.

"You want Xanxus's soft looking olive skin?"

"No I'm just saying that I don't look Italian."

"The Shark doesn't either, nor Lussuria, Levi is ugly, do I look Italian?"

"Sorta, you look kind of British, except for your teeth, they're too perfect to be British."* I continue. "And the long haired commander has white hair because of all the stress and the anger issues. Lussuria... I'm sure has had surgery. Levi is ugly I agree."

"I look British?" He glances at himself in the mirror. "Hm, yeah I'm sure Lussuria's had surgery, God knows what kind, that guy is- you think I have perfect teeth?"

"Yeah dude they're like really shiny, like in commercials."

"Ushishishi."

And then we get there.

Accelerando...

"Oh great."

Sempai seems displeased as we reach these giant gates and Desirae stands in front of them.

"Where do we park?" I ask rolling the window down and the car approached her.

"How am I supposed to know?" She yells, opening the back door and sliding in. "Don't YOU know, you lived here!"

"I don't remember."

"Doesn't it at least seem fimiliar to you?"

"A little."

The gates in front of us slide open creepily, I guess Sempai pushed the button thingy I see over there.

We drive up a cobblestone road. Reaching the top of a hill, where a big grey brick manor stands. No not like the Cinderella castle at Disneyland, surrounded by rainbows and frilly shit. It looks depressing and boring.

I turn to the others in the car, "Are either of your guys' castles this ugly looking?"

"Ushishi no."

"Er.. nope."

"Wanna trade?" I offer as a guy in black aproaches the car. Sempai hands him the car keys, and we all get out of the car. I assume he's the parking valet.

"Soooo... what now?" I ask.

"Fran I absolutely adore the way you're so helpless." Des says patting my head.

"You sound like you don't mean it."

She smacks my hat. "Because I don't!" She continues to lead the way up to the door.

Before we knock the door swings open, revealing a tall dark haired woman stands in the doorway. Wearing a loose but slimming white dress and her hair in a half pony tail.

"FRAN!" She litteraly jumps on me. "You're back!"

"Who are you?" I ask bluntly.

" I'm Punae, your sister. You don't remember?" She smiles brightly.

"No."

She laughs, "You've always been like that!"

"We're related?"

"Yeah."

I look her up and down... black hair... olive skin... likes to smile... happy... tall... we're so not related. I think she reads it on my face because she continues:

"I look like father, you look like mother." She assures, "I'll show you pictures! But first who's your friend?" She looks at Bel.

"What friend?"

Stab.

"This is Bel-sempai he's a... co-worker." I answer.

She eyes the knife on my hat questioningly then laughs again. "I knew it! A circus! That's where you've been! I think you did mention once that you would like to join a circus!"

Uhhh... okay let's go with that story...

"And you I've talked to you yes? You're Princess Desirae?" She turns to Des.

"Yes, nice to meet you Princess Punae." They shake hands.

"Anyway why are we standing outside?" She smiles, "Inside is much nicer."

Surprisingly she's right, it is. The hall way as we enter I notice is fernished modernly. The marble tiles on the floor extend in a checkerboard pattern. Leading to these grand stairs that go up and split into two different corridors. My 'sister' leads us to the right, where the floor turns into liliac tiles, and there is a couch with a lazy boy around a wide tv. The walls are made up of tall windows so the bright light from outside is the source of light. A large chimney under the TV divides the room in two.

"See Fran, this is Papa and Mama." She sits on the couch and picks up a frame from the coffee table in the center.

I take it, also sitting down. In the picture stands a tall man with dark curly hair, in suit. A green haired woman at his side wearing a complimenting light blue dress. Her hair is long, to her waist it seems, I can't really tell since she's facing the camera. She's laughing, and he is not. But instead enjoys her company in silence.

"Look it's a hotter version of Fran." Bel-sempai teases, he had been looking over my shoulder.

"Or Des with boobs." I add.

"Oh haha." She glares from across the room.

"Yes it has occured to me that you and Princess Desirae do look fairly similar but, you guys are definitely not related." My sister explains. "That was just coincedence."

"In other words, Fran stole my look." She sticks her toungue at me.

I ignore her.

"So how is this going to happen?" I look at my sister.

"Well you're going to refuse the throne."

"Okay I refuse it."

"It's not that easy."

"Okay...?"

"The Official Decline is in a week. In one week you are going to have to prepare a speech. You have to perfect your posture and... not wear that hat. Even if you are going to refuse your possition as king, you're still a prince. Therego you will act like one, understand? Princess Desirae here will be able to train you in that area, that is why I asked her here a week before the event."

"Er... that sounds like a lot of work."

She laughs again. "Well you've got plenty of time." She stands up. "Anyway Desirae I still need to go over the details with you if you don't mind."

"Of course not." She follows her out the door.

As soon as the coast is clear I raise an eyebrow at sempai.

"You are not taking off that hat." He snaps.

End of Count 2

* * *

* I hope this doesn't insult anyone! It's a stereotype not really true!

What do you guys think? I think it's getting a little too princess diaries... hopefull that will change O.o

-Eko


	12. Count 3

Count 3

"You're still slouching."

"Blah blah blahbaty blah."

"Excuse you?"

"Huh?" I slouch more.

"Don't make me tie you down!"

"Ushishishi, perv."

"NO COMMENTS FROM YOU!" Des stabs a finger in his direction, as he sits in a corner observing the lesson.

"Sempai, just because you wish _you _could tie me down." I tease.

"Pshh... like I'd waste my time on you."

"You!" We're pushing Des to the edge, goal for today? Accomplished. "Shut up!" She's looking at Bel who smirks.

The she grabs my shoulders and pins them to the chair. "And YOU stop slouching!"

"Sempai... tell Des to stop man handling me."

"I told you she was coming on to you."

"I'd just like to point out that Sempai is slouching."

Stab.

"I'm a prince, I'm allowed to slouch."

I look back at Des, "He just contridicted everything you were just saying."

"I give up!" She throws her arms in the air and stomps out of the black and white kitchen.

I slouch, sticking my toungue out at the back of her head.

"Twerp." Sempai mutters.

"You're defending her now?"

"No, but I think you're a twerp anyway."

...

"Fran." My sister begins in a supposed serious matter. "I really think you should start trying, it's already Wednesday."

I slurp my soup in response.

We're all 'royally' gathered, around the 'royal' table because that is the 'royal' thing to do when you're 'royally' 'royal'. I summarize the long lecture may sister gave me after I asked her about eating in my room. I swear she uses the word 'royal' like 50 times more than sempai does, and trust me that's A LOT.

"Don't slurp!" Desirae snaps, my sister hushes her.

"Ignore him he's doing it on purpose."

There is a long bitter silence after that.

"So Fran, I've noticed you haven't touched the piano in the study." Punae (I wonder who named us) begins again after clearing her throat. "What's the matter?"

"He plays the piano?" Sempai chuckles.

"We have a study?" I add.

She nods.

"But his hands are so small." He laughs.

"Perv," I shoot in his direction.

"Fran!" Punae snaps.

"He started it."

She sighs in defeat.

...

"Who the hell are you?"

I'm looking at a tall man about the age of 18...? 19 maybe, 20 at the most. He's grinning at me cheerfully, he has tan skin and dark hair with purple tips. He's wearing a red plaid button down shirt and skinny jeans.

"Fran... this is you're _new_ tutor, Zane." Punae explains. "It didn't work out with Princess Desirae but she says she'll see you at the ceremony."

"Is he a prince too?" I ask smartly.

"No, but he was strongly recommended to me."

"In other words she thinks you're hot." I roll my eyes, and my sister glares at me.

"I'll just let you two get started."

I frown at her as she leaves, I mean she woke me up at 8 for this. Sempai is still asleep, and I usually wake up after him.

"So Fran how old are you?" He asks directly. "15?"

"17."

"I see." He looks me up and down. "First, you're posture... stand up straight."

"I am standing straight."

"Are you?" He circles around me.

I see no point in this but soon I feel a hand on my butt.

"WHAT THE HELL!" I shriek, which is something I _don't _do.

"What?" He looks at me innocently. "Oh look at that, you're not slouching anymore."

"Yeah, cuz you scared the hell out of me!"

"Did I?"

"Yeah what was that!"

"Oh nothing just me coming on to you." He laughs casually.

"WHAAT!"

"Relax." He pats my head. "I'm not going to rape you or anything... just harass you into doing what I want, got it?"

"My sister hired you?"

"Yep to do just that." He smiles a smile that reminds me of Lussuria. [shudder]

"Stupid frog." I feel a knife in my shoulder blade. "What's with all the yelling? You friggin woke me up! And where's your hat?" More stab.

"Sis dragged me out of bed so suddenly."

"Go get it frog."

"Who is this?" Zane eyes sempai.

"Prince J'imagine." I retort. Stab. Look he speaks French.*

"I own the frog."

"Frog?"

"That is his pet name for me, he also has a thing for me." I joke slowly crawling up the stairs.

Stab.

"Ah... I see, well nice to meet you...?"

"Prince the Ripper."

"Belphegor." I say right after. "No that is not the sound of me barfing it's his actual name." Stab.

"Hat. Now."

"Yeah yeah."

...

"Okay I talked to your sempai, and he has agreed to let you take the hat off for the occation," I'm noticing that Zane has a mole under his left eye. "But you have to be his slave for tommorrow Saturday."

"What? I don't remember agreeing to this."

"Surely you do." He blinks his big brown eyes at me.

"No I don't."

He takes my chin on his finger, and nears his smirking face to mines. "I'll make you remember~"

"I'm not afraid of you." I stick my tongue out.

"Really?" He turns back on his heel, "Well you don't know what I'm capable of."

"Hmm."

"Say," He smiles, "Would you by any chance know the sexual orientation of your sempai?"

Well I wasn't expecting that... so what?

"Er... no I assume he's straight."

"Assume? You know what they say about 'assuming' things... it makes an ass out of 'u' and 'me'." He hisses like a snake eyeing a trapped plump rat.

"Are you...?"

"Interested in your sempai?" He laughs, "Of course it's only natural, have you looked at him? Oh don't you just want to eat him up?"

Ew. "No."

"It's really hard to miss something like that." From the look on his face I can tell he's fantisizing something erotic... ew...

"Wait first you were coming on to me and now Bel-sempai?"

"Well you're cute and all..."

Did he say _cute_?

"...but you're just not my type."

"Nice to know." I mutter sarcastically cursing my sister.

...

* * *

* Prince 'I imagine'

Yay progress... I hope people are still reading, I know it's been a while. Last week I helped a friend with her fic, (I don't know why I suck at grammar) check it out if you have time. It's an 8059 fic named Greensleeves, rated T I think... it's cute :P

So I hope to finish this soon, hopefully some BelFran coming up, :) fwahaha and the Varia will soon join us too...

Anyway R&R please.

-Eko


	13. Count 4

Count 4

...Saturdays.

Reluctantly I approach the door I must reluctantly knock on. So reluctantly I knock on it.

_Knock knock._

...

_Knock knock. _

...

_Knock knock._

...

_Knock kn-_

"What. Do. You. Want?"

A very cranky sempai stands where the door used to be.

"A very reluctant prince reporting for duty." I reply.

"I told Zane that I wanted you here at noon." Noon being the time Bel-sempai wakes up.

"I know." I squeeze in between him and the door. "That's why I showed up at 6."

"It's 5:30."

"Is it really?" Sarcasm sarcasm.

"Go back to bed frog." Stab stab.

"You keep knives on you when you sleep?" I begin looking around, Sempai is quite a slob.

"I know what you're trying to do."

"Do you?" I pick up one of his knives from the night stand.

"You're trying to make my life a living Hell, hoping I'll fire you from your servitude." He says snatching the knife from me.

"Servitude? Now I'm your servant?" My attention continues to sweep the room. "If anything you should be serving me, this IS my kingdom."

"That's completely absurd, princes don't do the whole servant thing."

"You do realize you just contridicted yourself?"

"Yeah but it doesn't matter 'cuz I'm a prince."

I look at the floor, clothes clothes clothes.

"Nice underwear." Purple plaid.

"Ohaha," He sits on his bed. "Now go away I was sleeping."

"I thought old bats were nocturnal." Stab.

"I'm not going away," I explain sitting on the bed next to him. "I want to get this day good and over with."

"Fine, watch me sleep." He crawls under the covers. "But that would make you a perv."

"You're the perv for thinking it."

No response.

"Are you asleep yet?"

...

"How about now?"

...

"Now?"

Stab.

"Ah... I see... haveing trouble going back to sleep nye? I have the solution."

"Go away."

"Once upon a time."

"Urgh..."

"There was a handsome tall green haired buff guy named Dan, who was a super awesome ninja, and lived in a village where he was ruler. ONE DAY, this really ugly blond hobo [stab] and his old lady girlfriend [stab] with extra long white hair, came into the village and secretly drugged the manly man. Thay hit him in the head really hard to erase his memory and kidnapped him to this horrible place called DEVARRIIAHHKCASSTLE, where they made him eat cold cabbage stew for the rest of his life. But Dan, being really super awesome ate all of the horrible people. THE END."

"You're a cannibal now?" He peaks from behind the covers.

"Not me, Dan, geeze were you even paying attention?"

...

"Fine." He throws the covers on me and begins to undress.

"Sorry sempai I don't do that kind of stuff."

"Oh ha ha." He walks over to the closet and begins throwing stuff all over.

Eventually he comes out dressed. Look at that, no stripes today. I must of made a weird face because he says:

"I don't always wear stripes."

"Apparently."

He grabs his coat, heading to the door. "Come."

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"Somewhere."

"Do I need a coat too?" I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

"I don't think so."

We were at the door when:

"Where are you guys heading to so early?" It's Zane in a tank and boxers... drinking coffee?

"Sight seeing." Sempai answers.

"Can I come?" Whyyy? Not that I want to be alone with sempai but I've known this guy for exactly one day and I don't like him.

"Sure." What? "We'll be in the car."

"K, I'll be down in a sec then." He dissappears down the hall.

I follow Sempai out the door.

...

"Why is _he_ coming?" I ask getting in the back seat.

"Because he can." He gets in the front.

"Where are we going?"

"I dunno."

"I thought we were going sight seeing?"

"Well then we're going sight seeing."

"You don't sound that enthusiastic about it."

"Because a certain frog is giving me a headache."

"Well maybe you shouldn't of made me your slave for the day."

A knock on the window interrupts. It's Zane. Sempai unlocks the door for him and he slides into the shotgun.

"So where are we going?" I roll my eyes, and begin to look out of the window. The sun is barely coming up from the east, but still there is a long shadow on the mountains.

"I kind of want to go into the city," Sempai, to my surprise answers.

"What do you tihnk Fran?" Zane turns back to me.

"Sure."

He gives me a _remember-what-tomorrow-is_ look.

"I think it's a swell idea." I say _nicely _ if you'd believe it.

"Alrighty, the city it is." He resumes a cheerul look and turns to sempai.

With that we drive out of the gates and onto the city.

...The Zoo.

"I've always wanted a pet monkey~" Zane laughs, almost giggles.

"You can have the frog, he's as ugly as a monkey." Sempai replies.

Zane laughs again, in his longsleeve white shirt and fancy scarf. "That is hilarious!" I point out his attire because I think he looks as gay as he is.

I try to inch away from the monkey exhibit where we were, but a couple of knives to my hat and I stop. I return reluctantly. Zane laughs again.

I try to distract myself by throwing peanuts into the monkey cages. Ignoring the sign that tells me not to do that. I hear Zane laugh again... his laugh is starting to annoy me more than sempai's.

The whole way here he's been trying to hit on Sempai. I don't Sempai's noticed though, because so far no response.

I don't know why we even came to the zoo... sempai seems to be as bored as I.

"Fran, can you do me a favor?" Zane approaches me.

"I thought I WAS doing you a favor by serving sempai today."

"Well do me another one." He glares. "I want more popcorn."

He hands me a 50, which transilates into: _Get lost._

"No prob Zane." I take the money, leaving them alone, I take that back, _happily _leaving them alone.

...Later.

"So you're not from here?"

"No, are you?"

She smiles, this girl is very pretty and very nice. "Yeah, I've never really been out of this place. I'm a pretty boring person."

"Nah nah," I say, "I like normal people."

She blushes lightly. "You're just saying that."

"I would kill to be around normal people." _Really I would._

"Really?"

"Yeah, I also want to dye my hair a different color."

"Don't do that, I like your hair." She smiles brightly.

"Yeah but people won't stop calling me a frog. They make me wear this hat." I point.

"I think frogs are cute."

"Do you?" I grin taking another bite of my ice cream.

"Ay, frog." I frown at the sound of sempai's voice.

"Yes, sempai?" I'm afraid to turn around.

"Where's what's-his-name's popcorn?" He stands next to me and eyes the girl I'm talking to, then me, then the ice cream I bought for me and her.

"Ah... yeah... forgot." I say.

He smacks my hat. "Dork." And walks towards the stands.

"I have to go," I apologize.

"Um, yeah thanks for the ice cream."

"No prob."

I wave as I follow sempai.

I catch up to him, "Wait up."

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"That girl?"

"Yes that."

"Oh her name is Rosa, she's really nice."

He looks at me Iike he doesn't believe that I actually complemented someone. "Anyway," He continues shaking his head in disapproval. "Why'd you ditch me with the perv?"

"Oh did he try making a move on you?" I laugh, not to be mean, just naturally.

"A little yeah."

"He touched my butt." I shrug. "Sorry, he gave me 50 bucks to get lost."

"I see."

"So what happened? Did he try to rape you?"

Sempai laughs, not evilly, naturally. "No... as soon as I noticed him start to get close I told him I was going to go look for you. I left him by the lions." He points into the distance.

"I think we should just take the car and leave him here." I suggest.

"Yeah, that would be great, except I'm afraid he'll rape me in my sleep."

I laugh again. It's weird.

"Ay Fran." He says once we're closer to the lion exhibit.

"Yeah?"

"Remember the time I did you that favor?"

A light bulb goes off in my head.

"With Des?"

"Yup."

"Okay, just making sure."

My mind is set at ease for a second, until he stops moments later. Grinning at me, not nicely like he was a while ago. But evilly. Crap.

I think at this point we all know what is going to happen, yes? At exactly the right moment, he's going to show Zane along with half the people here, that they've got no chance. And we know exactly how he's going to do it. Yeah he's going to kiss me.

He did.

Except this time he _didn't_ kiss my chin this time.

Remember I gave him permission last time?

And then we all died. The End.

Okay not really, but wouldn't it have been swell if that happened?

So I'm sure I'm making at stupid face right now. Even if I did expect it, I'm still in a state of shock.

Sempai laughs, evily, not naturally.

"Now we're even."

End of Count 4.

* * *

Ah, okay I promise the return of the Varia in the next chapter, and more Bel hitting on Fran yes? That would be nice :3


	14. Count 5

Count 5

...Pros and Cons,

**Pros:**

I don't owe sempai anything anymore.

Zane isn't talking to either of us at the moment.

**Cons:**

That was my first kiss.

Zane will probably tell my sister.

Along with everyone else.

Or rape me in my sleep.

Oh yeah, and I think I like sempai now.

Yeah that sounds pretty stupid. Something like that shouldn't happen, in fact it

DOESN'T happen. The truth is I think I've like him for a while.

Thiiiiiisss sucks!

And the worst part is, I don't know what sucks more; me liking sempai, or me

liking sempai.

Why do these things happen to me?

I feel nauseous.

...Gathering.

"Fran!"

I look up, it's good o' Melodii running towards me. Honestly I'm a little glad

to see her. She's like an ounce of hope in this black holeyou call my life. Except

the part where she tackles me... that kinda hurts.

"Yo dude." Hymn approaches. "Where have you been? We've been here since noon."

"We?"

"VROIIII! BRATS! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!"

Squalo comes around the corner, there's some leaves in his hair.

"Ushishi..."

That startles me, he's standing behind me.

"Bel-kun!" Melodii monkey leaps from me to sempai.

"What's wrong sharky? Boss raped you in a tree?"

I laugh. Wait... I laughed?

"Oh haha, more like he threw it at me..." He glares, "You guys took forever,

we're already out of meat!"

"And how is that our problem? You should have brought more meat." Sempai jokes.

"You! You're coming with me!"

"Going where?"

But it's too late, long haired commander dragged sempai to the store.

"Well, Fran, that explains why you were so reluctant towards me." Zane walks up

to me out of nowhere. "But I'm not giving up, don't even think it."

Great.

"Who are you?" Hymn snaps.

Zane winks at me, sticks his tongue out at Hymn, before walking away. Not sure

what that means...

"Who the hell does he think he is!" The angered twin turns to me, "Who is he

anyway?"

"Our worst nightmare." I mutter barely.

"Fran-kun are you okay? You seem kinda out of it?" Melodii looks at me blankly.

Crap eye-contact. Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think about

it.

She gasps. "Oh my!"

Crap I thought about it.

"What?" Hymn, is totally clueless, but he's not the psychic twin.

"Don't." I plead.

"Let's go up stairs." She reasons smiling.

I lead the way up to my room.

"Wait-why are we going to your room?" Hymn is still lost.

"Just come." Mel rolls her eyes.

Once in my room.

"Bel-sempai kissed you~" The unusually happy twin bounces on my bed.

"WHAT! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!" Hymn is finally clued in.

"You sound a little to glad for my liking." I say quietly.

"Well," She explains, "I'm a fan girl."

"Okay, why isn't anyone explaining anything to me?" Ignored.

"So you're into guys kissing guys?"

She laughs, "Not really, but I support you guys' relationship."

"What relationship!"

"Yeah what relationship?"

"You like Bel-kun no?"

THEMOSTAWKWARDSILENCEOFMYLIFE.

"I'm taking your silence as a yes." She grins.

"So what are you going to about it?" Hymn has now a somewhat good idea of what's

going on.

"Yes Frannie~~ what are you going to about it!" We all jump; Luss is standing

at the door glowing in joy.

"God you scared me, what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry I just couldn't help to overhear that Sempai kissed you~"

"Were we that loud!" I worry.

"Nah nah, I heard from Zane."

"Crap." I knew it. "Who else has he told?"

"Just me and the kitchen staff, but he was looking for your sister who by the

way is the most prettiest little thing I've ever seen in my life~ You know she-"

I ran out of there, I swear it was the fastest I had ever moved in my life. I

had to find Zane. In the Kitchen? No. Study. No. Hall? No. The garden? There's

my sister... and Zane! I stumble down the long path, avoiding the people

setting up for the event tomorrow. Through this thorn bush, fun. And knocking

down some stuff, fun.

"Zane!"

"Fran?" My sister looks at me. Zane looks at me. I look at me. I'm a mess.

"Um... I'm sorry, Zane, can I talk to you for a second please?"

"Okay," He looks at me innocently.

"Over here," I say pointing at where I'm standing.

"Okay." He grins coming over, "How can I help you?"

"Please don't tell." I'm begging. Why am I begging?

"Don't tell what?"

"Don't play dumb, you know..."

"Fran it's not nice to call people dumb."

"Please!"

"Fine. But..."

"But what!"

"You have to make me your date for your dis-coronation tomorrow."

"What! Why?"

"Oh Punae dear..." My sister looks up in our direction.

"Fine! You're my date for tomorrow!"

He grins. "I'm glad this worked out."

"What's going on you guys?" My sister is now walking towards us.

"Oh nothing, Fran here just asked me to be his date for the party tomorrow. What

do you think?"

Of course she's a little taken back.

Please say no. Please say no.

"I think that's a great idea, show the people we're open to these sort of

things." Obviously she's just making up shit.

"Awesome, then it's all set!"

...

I'm feeling kind of numb, as I walk up to my room. Today was just not my day. I

run into a couple of walls, corners, pillars.

On the last one I completely topple over, but I don't hit the floor. Something

catches my arm.

"You okay there Frog?" Urggggh... no exactly whom I wanted to run into, but what

I'm I going to do.

"Nuhhh... sempai..?"

"Frog?"

"You're back from the store?"

"Yeah, hey are you sure you're okay, can you walk?"

I limply stand up and hold on to the wall. "Yeah I think so... I'm just tired."

"You're bleeding." He says kind of bluntly. I hadn't noticed obviously... must

have been from the thorn bushes.

"Heh... I guess so."

"Dude are you high?"

He's now in my face, I feel my pulse shaken. He cups my face in his hand, and

wipes the drop of blood off my face with his finger.

"Sempai, why does my life suck?"

He thinks about it for a while. Then answers."Because you're a frog."

End of count 5.

* * *

Sorry for the late update... birthday party 3 


	15. Count 6

Count 6

_Nnnnuuhhhhhh... the sun... it burns... _

I turn over pulling the covers over my head.

_Wait... I never open the curtains in my room... _

_and since when... is my room... this messy-_

_..._

_..._

_... _

"CRAP." _What am I doing in here!_

I look around sempai is no where in sight. The clock on the stand says 6:30. Everything spins as my mind creates the various situations in which the result would be me in sempai's bed.

Then I remember I fainted last night. I feel a little better.

But now what?

I mean I guess I could leave but what if someone sees me? What if I run into Zane or Luss or the long haired commander or-

[sniff]

Something smells... nice.

Sniiiiiiiiiiffff...

It's sempai's covers. _Is this weird? _I'm smelling his covers, but he smells really nice. AND WHAT AM I WEARING?

I'mwearinghisclothes.

I feel dizzy again.

And embarrassed. The thought of sempai... changing my clothes... while... unconscious... I want to die.

Why am I acting like a little girl?

I crack the door open slightly... there's people running up and down the hall hurriedly. Why so early? Oh yeah, I forgot, the de-coronation! It's today! And... my date is Zane. I feel nauseous again...

"Fran!"

I catch Mel's attention down the hall, she runs over quickly.

"Where have you been?" She looks me up and down. "And why are you in here? Ackk! Never mind that doesn't matter, you need to come now!"

I haven't even begun to process this, when I notice that she's dragging me down the hall at full speed.

We stop in my room, or not. She continues pushing me into the bathroom.

"Quick shower and meet me in my room when you're done!" She orders before slamming the door.

It takes me a minute to take it all in, and another to fully wake up. Then I get in the tub and shower.

I look at the clothes that Melodii left out for me. A blouse and pants. I change after drying myself completely. Then carefully make my way down to the twin's room (avoiding both sempai and Zane).

"You're late." Hymn pops his gum in my face when he opens the door.

"Hurry hurry hurry!" Mel sits me down in a chair and starts putting weird stuff on my face.

"Hey what are you doing!" I protest.

"Covering up your injuries." Another voice adds. "Seriously what the hell did you do?" It's Desirae helping Mel with the whole getting ready thing.

"I fell in a bush... a couple of bushes."

"Really?" She smirks. "You sure you weren't raped by Bel-kun?"

"YOU TOLD HER?"

Melodii shakes her head innocently and Hymn laughs.

"Told me what?"

...Oops.

"Nothing... never mind."

"Ew. Are you sleeping with Bel-kun?" She looks shocked.

"No! Of course not!"

"He's not." Hymn agrees. "He's just sleeping in his bed." He winks, I don't know if it was for me or Des.

Mels must of told him.

"Ew."

"I'm not sleeping with sempai!"

"But you were in his bedroom." Melodii says questioningly.

"I fainted!"

"On Bel?"

"HYMN I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"Nah nah, Bel is obviously the man in the relationship." Des points at a bruise on my neck.

"That's a bruise!"

"Sure it is." Hymn says coolly.

"I give up." I sigh.

...

Later:

"There!" Des beams proudly.

"Hey he's presentable." Des adds sourly. "Almost attractive."

No comment from Hymn.

I look at myself in the mirror. I'm wearing an ironed white dress shirt, with a black vest on top; normal black dress pants, thinning so my legs look longer. My head feels lighter with out the frog hat, but I think I need a hair cut, I look kind of feminine.

"Okay! Lets get going!" Melodii takes my hand and drags me through the door before I can even say something about my appearance.

Swimming through maids and butlers, decorators and servers. We end up in the kitchen, were the all the world's food seems to have ended up.

"Frannie~! Don't you look adorable!" Lussuria squeals as he shuffles by carrying a platter. "I'd hug you but I'm in a hurry~"

"It's okay we are too," Mels explains grabbing a bun and shoving it in my mouth. "We just came for a bite to eat, we have a long day ahead of us!"

With that we exit the kitchen and run down to basement. The only place not crowded. This is where I'm forced to practice my speech for an hour by Desirae.

Then BACK up stairs where I practice how I would enter the garden and where I would sit, where I stand etc.

I'm tired, and now Mels wants to teach me the order of the courses and which fork to use for each one. She went to go GET a salad fork to teach me the difference between it and a normal fork. I, being a genius, use this opportunity to sneak away.

I'm a couple of seconds out of the garden, walking down the dirt path when I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey where are you doing?"

The last voice I wanted to hear today.

I turn my head to see Zane grinning at me (evilly I might add).

I jump back, I almost say 'Don't touch me!' but he speaks first.

"So I hear you were in Bel's room last night."

Why does it seem that people have nothing better to do than talk about that...?

"So what if I was?" I glare. "Jealous?"

"Don't get cocky with me kid," He glares back, "Bel slept on the couch in the study I know that."

_Did he? _

"Anyway I know for a fact that he's not interested in you, and that you two faked that kiss." He laughs evilly. "Which by the way I still haven't figured out why you're trying so desperately to hide, I mean what's the point? Your sister already thinks you're _gay_... and the only other reason I can think of is that you might actually LIKE your sempai, in that case you ARE gay and in denial."

"Shut up what do you know?"

"I know everything remember?" He smiles. "That's why you're my date today, you're keeping me quiet."

Long... awkward... silence...

"Hey! Where have you been!" Melodii saves the day somewhat. "The opening ceremony is starting! Common Zane." She says Zane's name like he's filthy and saying his name will leave a nasty after taste on her tongue.

She leads us to the front of the garden, where my sister stands next to some important looking people. We go stand with her. Looking out into the crowd I see more important looking people, all eyes on my sister. Some members of council and the Varia. Well most of the Varia anyway, Luss and sempai aren't here, but who would blame them? Xanxus looks like a fly could set him off and Squalo is enduring his furious glare. Levi is ugly, and Hymn looks bored. Desirae is standing on my right and Zane on my left. My sister is saying something about 'honor' and 'announcing'... then introductions.

"And now my brother and prince of our beloved land, Fran."

I nod confirming, Zane and Des must have already been introduced, I spaced out.

"So lets have dinner and enjoy the evening!"

We are dismissed I look out to the edge of the gardens, I _thought _I saw something but I guess not.

"Fran what are you doing?" Des raises her eyebrows suspiciously at me. "Stop standing there and move out of my way."

We all have dinner. We socialize. We gather round for my speech. My official declining of the throne. I'm nervous and still find myself searching for nothing.

"I am here today..." I begin.

...

"And that means I am officially turning down, my position."

Clap clap clap.

Finally it's over.

So why do I feel like it isn't?

My sister takes the mic over, inviting everyone to the dance floor. Which is just the platform in the center of the garden, lit up with white lanterns, and a fountain in the center. The cheesiest crap ever. I find myself sneaking off into the dark fields behind the gardens when someone grabs my hand.

"We're going to dance." Zane announces. "I _am_ your date." He rubs in.

I frown. Escape fail.

I let him drag me to the center, taking my right hand in his left and wrapping his other arm around my waist. Am I really that thin?

Aaannyway... this is very uncomfortable.

Cristofori's Dream begins to play and he takes the lead. I know this song it seems, it gives me a nostalgic feeling. I don't remember ever learning how to play it but I can feel my fingers dribbling to the rhythm, it's almost natural. I ALSO don't remember ever learning how to dance, but apparently I can.

I can feel Zane's eyes on me, not full of warmth but of hate. I avoid eye contact because I know he's feeling glorious at the moment. Stupid stupid Zane.

Instead I focus my attention to my surroundings.

"Who are you looking for?" I look up at Zane he's grinning, we both know who, he's just gloating.

"Nothing." I answer keeping my face calm.

_Geeze... how long is this song?_

Something catches my eye towards my left. I stop suddenly, tripping backwards ramming into a waiter. The drinks he was carrying spilling all over. On the waiter, the white tiles, Zane's shirt, a few drops on my sleeve. The whole world stops on us.

"Hey-" Zane starts in surprise.

"I'm s-sorry." I apologize my mind elsewhere. I apologize to the waiter and excuse myself, I don't know to whom, but I do. Then I run. I don't know where to, but I run.

I don't know what anymore. I just want to go to sleep and not wake up till this is all over. My head on my mother's lap, her hand stroking my hair.

_"Like really fluffy grass."_

She'd say smiling, and I'd close my eyes and think about how music notes were like lily pads. My fingers bouncing across the music like frogs on lily pads. I'd do this whenever I got stuck on a really hard song, my mom would always make me feel better.

Now that I think about it it's kind of funny, the frog on lily pads.

_Frog._

Now I'm a frog. I'm _the _frog.

Bouncing swiftly across lily pads trying not to get my feet wet.

But that's silly if I did that I'd sink.

Sink sink sink. Or float?

I don't now where I am now...

There's trees, trees, and more trees.

And dirt. Dirt, dirt, dirt.

I don't know what to do now.

What do I do?

I'm standing there when I see _Zane._

He's coming up to me slowly, almost afraid.

As if I could bite his arm off in one move.

He approaches me, taking my face in his hand.

"What's wrong?" The blond asks.

The problem with this is that_ Zane isn't blond. _

I breathe in, I breathe out.

"I-I'm not sure." I answer.

I feel something trickle down my face. I catch the liquid on the side of my finger.

"I'm bleeding."

This prince.

This prince.

This prince whom I hate.

This prince whom I hate.

Yeah, this prince.

He takes my hand, intertwining his fingers in mine and says:

"Idiot. That's not blood." Pulling me into an awkward hug. "You're crying."

* * *

The first scene may seem kind of deja vu-ish, that's because there is a similar scene in one of my older fics. I haven't updated in forever! I've been so busy, but I hope you enjoy, I liked it :P This fic is almost over and I've just realized that there hasn't been much of the Varia in it! My apologies! I fail! :P Anyway review please?

-Eko


	16. Count 7

Count 7

...Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder.

I'm warm and it feels nice. This soft black dress coat with silk lining. Very warm. But it is he cold?

I'm resting, on my mother's lap, his shoulder, same difference.

I want all my troubles to go away, sink into the dark abyss as I sit on this lilypad.

Highly unlikely.

It's dark, it's late, but I can hear the music in the distance.

The moon is almost full, mockingly. Almost like, "You're almost there, except for the part that you're not. Ha." Tomorrow it will probably be full, if we ever get there.

Honestly, I want to stay here forever. Even if it's impossible, even if it's with the person I hate/love, I'm going to pretend that I can. Just to see what happens.

I can hear him breathing. I think he might be asleep but I'm not sure, I don't want to look up I'm comfortable here. This tree that we're leaning against is starting to creep me out as the night deepens. Actually the whole forest is, maybe we should go somewhere else...

...I don't want to though.

I mean, I don't know what I mean, I'm confused. In good way confused though.

"Talk." Sempai sounds as casual as ever, although he shows a bit of concern; I highly doubt he sees me for more than I am. It gives me a pang of guilt for some reason.

"What should I talk about?" I mumble more than say.

"I don't know, insult me or something, you're freaking me out."

"Why?"

"Because... I don't know... you're not insulting me or being all sarcastic like usual."

"Are you a masocist?" My voice cracks but it's okay because he laughs anyway.

Not his usual cruel twisted laugh, the same one from the zoo, natural.

I smile. Then swear to myself hoping that he wasn't watching. I mean just because I've admitted that I like him, doesn't mean I'm going to start being _soft._

"Maybe... a little."

It takes me some time for me to realize that he was answering my question.

"I would have never guessed." I say sarcastically.

"You're one to talk, you're emo." He teases.

"That again..." I roll my eyes. "I'm not emo."

"Of course you're not."

I'm beginning to feel better. I take it all in with one big inhale of air, breathing out slowly as I come to my senses.

I sit up quickly (and a little too quickly I may add).

_f(x) = Myheadrestingonhisshoulder + laughing + darkforest + brightclearnight + talkingaboutourfeelings = we're flirting_

_f'(x) = what am I doing?_

"What's wrong?" Sempai sits up as well, eying me suspiciously.

"N-nothing." I stutter. Damn it.

"Are you cold? Want to go back?"

No.

"Sure..." I say feeling unusually awkward. I'm sure it's just me, so I feel more embarrassed.

He stands up and reaches his hand out courteously.

"...but not to the party." I finish, taking his hand.

"Where to then?" He grins, waiting for my reply.

"I dunno, where there's no people around... like Zane. Especially Zane."

He laughs again, I'm not sure if at me or at the Zane thing, but it doesn't matter.

"Okay then," He leads the way, I don't know where to, I follow anyway.

We take the long way, around the castle, completely avoiding the gardens. The bitter wind brushing my cheeks, making my hair a mess. We make it to the kitchen entrance around back, but it's locked. Sempai opens it easily with one of his knifes.

It's dark, this is our smaller kitchen so it mostly goes unused, I feel weird remembering. I reach for the lights, but Sempai's hand catches my wrist.

"Don't." He whispers, pulling me along.

Across the small kitchen he opens what seems to be a closet door. But it's not, it's an old wooden staircase. I follow him as we climb up to the attic. It is there where he turns on the lights.

I feeling of nostalgia almost sweeps me off my feet. I remember coming here a lot as a child. It hasn't changed a bit either. No creepy cobwebs, no dust. White walls, some random furniture, boxes, a couch. I search sempai, looking for an explanation.

"I was bored so I went exploring, thought this place was kind of neat." He answers running his hand through his hair. "No one really comes up here."

"I remember." I nod, looking around more, there's something missing, but I can't remember what.

I spot the colorful blanket across the cluttered room, the same turquoise and blue pattern from when I was little. I admit, a feeling of excitement rushes in, if only sempai weren't here... kidding, him I secretly thank for bringing me here. I briskly make my way over, taking the blanket revealing what stood underneath.

A piano.

A vintage Emerson upright.

Slowly, I run my hand across the chocolate colored wood. It feels so familiar... and I'm still working the connection with it when sempai opens the cover and starts hitting the high c rapidly and annoyingly. Way to kill the moment.

"Stop that." I say taking his hand, he's startled I can tell, which is weird because I startled myself as well.

"Then play something." He says after a second.

"I don't think I can." I answer beginning to hit random keys, it's tuned surprisingly.

He resumes to stroke the high c.

"Okay! I'll try geeze..." I roll my eyes and he snickers. "You're like a child..."

He pulls the bench out from under and sits on the right end. I sit down beside him.

I stare at the keys for a moment... uuuuhhhh...

I set my fingers on the keys in a familiar pattern, then I inhale deep, exhale, and then I begin.

_Eeek_.

I stop. That wasn't right. I glance at sempai and he's grinning like an idiot. I roll my eyes and go for another song.

I begin again.

At first it's kind of jumbled, but then I start to get the feeling back. It's nothing great, but it has some soul in it. I finish, looking over at sempai again.

"That was nice." He says casually while nodding. "What's it called?"

I search my memory. "The Heart Asks Pleasure First."

"Fitting." He raises and eyebrow (I think).

"Yeah my mom thought so too, I never really did." I continue to poke keys.

I hear him sigh, so I glance over, he's giving me a look. Like he's frustrated with me, or something.

"What?" I snap.

"You're an idiot."

"How?"

"You're playing dumb."

...

"So what if I am?"

A dark shadow looms over his face, for a second I think he's gonna slap me.

Instead he gets uncomfortably close.

"You're stalling." He whispers getting closer.

"I know." I mostly mouth, I've seemed to misplaced my voice.

I don't think he cares though, and I find myself staring at his lips when he says, "Then stop."

Okay so when people kiss in movies they close their eyes yes? I couldn't bring myself to do it. His skin looked so soft, I wanted to touch it. Instead he's touching me, I don't mind. And I know that I'm a hypocrite for saying this too. I wonder if he's closing his eyes...

"What?" He asks breaking our kiss.

"What?" I look up at him.

"What are you staring at?" He's bothered, I can tell he's kind of flushed.

"You why? Is that a problem?"

He stares at me blankly for a second, then smirks. "No."

He continues to kiss me, his kisses trailing down to my collarbone. Then he stops again.

"What?" I say this time.

"You're horrible at this." He grins.

"What?" I feel my skin heating up. I'm embarrassed again, great.

"I feel like I'm kissing a stick or a tree."

"Well-well-whatever!" I turn away hoping that will take away from how ridiculous I feel right now.

He laughs his signature laugh, I glare at his toothy grin.

"It's okay I don't mind." He says.

"I do." I say feeling even more insulted.

"Common," He takes my face in his hand, "I was joking, you're much better then a stick or a tree."

I close my eyes this time, but open them to glare at him when he pauses to add:

"You're a frog."

Fin.

\(o o)/

_| |_ -Done! Hurray!

I hope you people liked my completely OOC BF fic, if not tell me so! Review! Haha, there will be an epolouge... maybe... I've been so busy...


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